On February 19, 2024, the body of Elaysha Gilliam, a 26-year-old Black woman, was discovered in a field near Dunbar Park in Kansas City, Missouri. Authorities were called to the scene near the 3600 block of Oakley Avenue, where they found the victim suffering from apparent bodily trauma. Emergency personnel pronounced her deceased at the location. Subsequent investigation and a death certificate reportedly confirmed that she had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, leading police to classify the
case as a homicide. At the time of her death, she was approximately twelve weeks pregnant with her fifth child.
Gilliam was a mother to four children ranging in age from two to nine years old. Family members described her as a vibrant individual with a 'heart of gold' and a beaming smile that could brighten any room. Her father, Ed Gilliam, recalled her deep love for her family and her dedication to her children, one of whom requires a feeding tube and another who battles sickle cell anemia. She had recently been working to improve her life, having moved into a new residence and started a new job with aspirations of opening her own hair salon. An obituary for Gilliam listed her date of passing as January 20, 2024, nearly a month before her remains were discovered, though police reports focused on the date of recovery.
As of the weeks following the discovery, no arrests had been made in connection with her murder. The Kansas City Police Department stated that the investigation was ongoing and that they were making progress toward identifying a person of interest, though no specific suspect names were publicly released. The victim's family expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation, feeling that law enforcement was not providing them with sufficient updates or answers. Her stepmother, Clydetta Gilliam, voiced concerns that the case was being 'swept under the rug' and indicated a desire to take personal action to find answers, such as renting billboards to keep the case in the public eye.
According to accounts provided by her family, Gilliam had reportedly left her children with her mother on the night she vanished, stating she was on her way to see a boyfriend. She never returned to pick them up. Detectives have offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to a resolution in the case, urging anyone with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding her death to come forward. Her family continues to seek justice, emphasizing that the young mother did not deserve such a violent end and pleading for those responsible to turn themselves in.
