Kayla DeBorde was a 19-year-old mother who was deeply loved by her family. Her mother, Brandi Collins, and grandmother, Sharon McFarland, remember the constant pain of her absence. Kayla, a female, left behind a daughter, who was just 18 months old when her mother was killed and was four years old by 2019. Her family remembers the difficulty of explaining her mother's death to the little girl, who would say her "Mommy lives in the moon." Kayla’s life was cut short by a burst of senseless violence that also claimed the life of a high school student and left her own child to grow up without her.
On the night of January 29, 2016, Kayla attended a large house party in the 7200 block of Orange Avenue in Fresno, California. The party, which had been advertised on social media, drew a crowd estimated between 150 and 300 people. Also at the party was 17-year-old William Harris. During the gathering, a fight erupted between two rival groups. The altercation escalated with shocking speed, and approximately 35 gunshots were fired into the crowd. In the chaos, both Kayla and William were struck by gunfire and fatally wounded. A third person was also shot but survived their injuries. The assailants remained unidentified.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Department launched a double homicide investigation, but from the beginning, detectives were met with a wall of silence. Despite the huge number of potential witnesses at the party, investigators struggled to get people to cooperate. Detective José Diaz of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department noted the frustration of having a good idea of who might be involved but lacking the one crucial lead needed to make an arrest. Over the years, detectives interviewed nearly 150 people, an unusually high number for a single investigation, yet the case remained stalled.
The families of Kayla and William have lived in a state of prolonged agony, pleading for someone to come forward. "It’s been three years, and it’s not getting better. The hurt’s not getting better," Kayla's grandmother, Sharon McFarland, said in 2019. Kayla’s mother, Brandi Collins, expressed her disbelief at the silence from witnesses: "They don't have a conscience, and whoever knows, they don't have a conscience either." William’s parents, Lori Harris-Ray and Kevin Harris, spoke of their own profound loss, with his mother noting he never got to have a driver's license or get married. The families hoped that as the young people who attended the party grew older and became parents themselves, they might understand the grief their silence has caused.
In the years since the murders, the families have worked to keep the memory of their loved ones alive. A small monument with a cross was placed near the scene of the shooting. William's father started a charity called “Will’s Way – Beyond the Bullet,” which hosts an annual 5K race to fund scholarships for students in the Fresno Unified School District. The families have repeatedly joined law enforcement in making public pleas for information, hoping to break the culture of silence that has protected the killers.
The investigation into the murders of Kayla DeBorde and William Harris remains open. Law enforcement officials have continued to seek the public's help, bringing the case to the media's attention to remind people of the unsolved tragedy. In September 2019, the Governor of California announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. This reward was reissued in April 2026, underscoring the state's continued commitment to finding justice for the two victims. An additional reward of $3,000 is available through Valley Crime Stoppers. As of April 2026, the assailants remain unidentified.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Sergeant Alan Kelzer at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department at 559-600-8200. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.
