On a cold December day in Omaha, Nebraska, the life of 31-year-old Vannessa Kay Thomas was tragically cut short. On December 5, 2009, the African American mother was shot and killed in her own front yard. The sudden and violent nature of her death left her family and community in shock and searching for answers that have yet to come.
Vannessa was a mother to two daughters, Kaybiaun and Belicia.
Her death left a profound void in their lives, with their father, Charles Nelson, stepping into the role of a single parent to raise their daughter. Friends and family remember her as a friend from Benson High School, a woman who was loved and is deeply missed.
In the years that have followed her murder, Vannessa's case has grown cold. As of 2014, five years after her death, investigators had no new leads, and no arrests had been made in connection with her homicide. The lack of resolution has been a heavy burden for her family to bear, as they continue to hope for justice and honor her memory. The Omaha Police Department continues to list her case as an unsolved murder, and anyone with information is encouraged to come forward.
