Earon Cooper, a 31-year-old Black/African American male from Lawrence, Kansas, was a devoted family man known to loved ones as "Deayon." Born in Topeka on March 31, 1993, he graduated from Highland Park High School in 2011. He was a husband and a father to two young children, and as the eldest of six siblings, he cherished the time he spent with his family.
Those who knew him remembered his love for dancing, bowling, and going to the gym.
In the early hours of July 20, 2024, his life was cut short. Just after midnight, Topeka police responded to a shooting in the 2900 block of Southwest Topeka Boulevard. Officers arrived to find Earon Cooper in his vehicle near a Crunch Fitness, suffering from numerous gunshot wounds. First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene. His death marked the city's 11th homicide of the year.
The investigation into Cooper's death led to the apprehension of two suspects. In September 2024, police arrested 21-year-old Silas Bishop Amaru Kriner of Baldwin City. He was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery and booked into the Shawnee County Jail on a $1 million bond. In February 2025, authorities arrested a second suspect, 19-year-old Delano A. Washington of Topeka. He faced charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, interference with a law enforcement officer, and criminal damage to property, and was also held on a $1 million bond.
The case concluded with both men accepting plea agreements. On December 2, 2025, Silas Kriner pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery. On April 16, 2026, a judge sentenced Kriner to 267 months in prison, which is approximately 22 years and three months. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a violent offender for 15 years. His co-defendant, Delano Washington, also agreed to a plea deal. As of April 2026, Washington was scheduled to be sentenced in May 2026.
