On November 25, 2017, a violent double homicide occurred in Independence, Missouri, claiming the lives of two young men, including 20-year-old Hispanic male Ernesto A. Delahoz. The incident took place at the Hawthorne Place Apartments, a residential complex located in the 600 block of North Peck Court. Just after 12:30 a.m., the Independence Police Department received emergency calls reporting the sound of gunfire in the area.
When officers arrived at the scene to investigate the disturbance, they discovered a grim tableau spread across the property.
Police found the body of Ernesto Delahoz, along with the body of a second victim, 18-year-old Bradley S. Sartain II. Reports from the scene indicated that the victims were discovered in separate locations within the immediate vicinity; one young man was found lying dead in a grassy area outside the apartment buildings, while the other was located inside one of the residences. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Authorities quickly secured the area, launching a homicide investigation into the late-night attack that had silenced two lives in the prime of their youth.
Ernesto Delahoz was a young father who left behind a seven-month-old daughter. His family, blindsided by the tragedy, expressed their deep grief and lack of preparation for such a sudden loss, noting that his daughter would now grow up without her father. The second victim, Bradley Sartain II, was a recent graduate of Truman High School described by loved ones as a 'happy-go-lucky' country boy who enjoyed trucks and mudding. His vehicle was found missing from the scene immediately after the shooting but was later recovered in a nearby alley, adding a layer of mystery to the events of that night.
Despite the immediate response by law enforcement and the subsequent investigation, no suspects were apprehended at the scene. Detectives canvassed the apartment complex and appealed to the public for leads, but the motive for the killings remained unclear. While the Hawthorne Place Apartments had been the site of other violent crimes around that time—including a separate homicide months earlier for which a suspect was charged—no arrests were reported in connection with the specific murders of Delahoz and Sartain. The case left the community on edge and the families of the victims seeking justice for a crime that, according to public records, remains unsolved.
