On February 28, 2017, the body of 32-year-old Michael L. Hawkins was discovered inside a residence in Kansas City, Missouri. Officers were dispatched to the home located near 36th Street and Flora Avenue around 7:30 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from an individual who had entered the property. The caller reported finding Hawkins unresponsive and attempted to perform life-saving measures but left the scene before law enforcement arrived. Upon their arrival, police secured the area and confirmed that Hawkins was deceased.
The residence where Hawkins was found appeared to be abandoned, with reports indicating that several homeless individuals had been using the structure for shelter. Detectives from the Kansas City Police Department processed the scene for evidence and canvassed the neighborhood for potential witnesses. While the specific cause of death was not immediately released to the public to protect the integrity of the investigation, authorities officially classified the case as a homicide, marking the city's 20th such incident of that year.
Hawkins, known affectionately to friends and family as 'Baby Mike' or 'Lil Mike,' was a Kansas City native who had attended local public schools. At the time of his death, he left behind two daughters and a large extended family. Despite the initial investigation and calls for the public to provide tips anonymously through local hotlines, no suspects were immediately taken into custody. As of late 2025, databases tracking unsolved crimes in the region indicated that the case remained open with no reported arrests or convictions connected to his murder.
