Corey's Network, a local organization that helps families of murder victims, contacted KSHB 41 about a family who wanted help spotlighting the death of a loved one, hopeful to identify the killer. As a result, KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Caitlin Knute reached out to the family, now back in Arizona, to share Mark Anthony Facio's story.
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Mark Anthony Facio was just 33. He was a husband, brother, son, and father of four.
"His smile lit up the room. He had good energy. He was just ... a good person. ... My kids don't have a dad, and I don't have my person [any] more," said Laura Galindo, Facio's wife.
Facio, from Arizona, was in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and kids while searching for a job.
His wife said he got an email he'd been hired by a company, but he never saw that email, since he was shot and killed two days prior.
"Out of all my siblings, he was the one that would always put a smile on your face. You’re in a bad mood, here comes Mark Anthony, and he’s going to put a smile on your face," said Linda Contreras, Facio's sister. "I just feel empty. You know, he was a big part of my life, my husband’s life. Him and my husband were actually best friends, so it’s been pretty hard. It’s hard."
On Aug. 24, Galindo said her family went to church, took the kids to a water park, and ended their day getting slushies at a nearby 7-Eleven.
Galindo and the kids went back to where they were staying while Facio was walking alone near 6th and Park streets, where he was fatally shot.
VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s Caitlin Knute
Detectives said witnesses reported some sort of altercation, although the family claims Facio didn't know anyone in KC, and they can't think of a reason he'd be targeted.
"We just want justice to the person who did this to my brother because he deserves that much," Contreras pleaded.
Contreras and Galindo are trying to raise money through a GoFundMe to cover the costs to bring Facio's body back to Arizona, pay for a funeral and pay for burial. They weren't prepared for the financial burden, especially with a lack of insurance.
That's a problem Corey's Network, the organization that connected us with the family, has seen before.
"That’s more often than you think, believe it or not. We had one person just last week that they had a loved one murdered here in Kansas City, and they wanted to bring it back to Texas," shared co-founder Michelle Norris.
Norris and her husband started Corey's Network after their son Corey was fatally stabbed in 2013, a case that wasn't solved until nearly 3 1/2 years later.
"Before Corey died, you can watch the news and see that someone got murdered and then say, 'Oh, poor lady,' and then go back to making Hamburger Helper, you know. But once you’ve had a homicide happen in your family, you can’t do that anymore," Norris said.
Since Corey's Network was formed, Norris says they've helped pay $250 for funeral expenses for more than 475 funerals. Beyond that, the nonprofit has helped roughly 700 families of homicide victims, whether that's connecting them with legal services, helping them connect with counseling, or introducing families to the media in the hopes of getting coverage for their unsolved cases.
A reminder, for anyone with information on Facio's death, or any other unsolved crime in the KC metro, you can always contact detectives directly. If you'd like to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $25,000, you can report tips to the Greater KC Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
At last check, police have not made an arrest in Facio's death.
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