KSHB 41 has been covering the murder of Chris Bartholomew since he was killed 18 years ago. His mother, Misty Kirwan, reached out to reporter Alyssa Jackson for a final push for tips in the investigation. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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On May 20, 2007, Kansas City lost a young man eager to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Chris Bartholomew, his mother said, was a "mama's boy" — his mother's only boy.
An adventurous, competitive, protective and loyal friend, Bartholomew spent his last moments trying to help his friends until he was shot and killed by a stray bullet.
He was murdered in Westport, on the corner of West 39th Street and Broadway Boulevard.
The case remains unsolved.
As his family prepares for an upcoming 40th birthday celebration for Chris, they continue to remember him and the life he wasn't able to experience.
KSHB 41 has been covering the case since the day he was killed. Through the years, we've attended fundraisers, memorials, and shared the family's pleas for the community to help detectives solve the murder.
Bartholomew's mother, Misty Kirwan, came in town to meet with KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson at a special place — the softball fields at Happy Rock Park in Gladstone.
"I couldn’t play again after I lost him," Kirwan said. "[Chris] very competitive...he hated if we had a rain out, hated it because he loved to play sports so much."
Bartholomew and his mother played together on a coed softball team.
These days, outside of the same softball fields, she processes her son's murder differently.
Kirwan remembered all the milestones she couldn't experience with her son, and the life-changing knock on her door in 2007.
She said: "Everyday I think he’d be married, have kids…that’s truly something he wanted in life. [He'd] still be a loyal friend — I don’t think that ever goes away. I don’t think he would've changed much."
Bartholomew was 21 years old when he was murdered.
His grandmother, Sue Bartholomew, told KSHB 41 in 2009: "We miss Chris and he'll be forever young in our hearts. We want people to keep it out in the open and not forget."
The family still stands on that today — pushing for someone to come forward.
Kirwan believes there are people out there with information about who killed her son.
"There were too many people involved in this," she said. "People don't stay this quiet. No one stays this quiet."
The case: A last push
Detectives with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department spent significant time investigating Bartholomew's case in 2007, according to KCPD Cpt. Jake Becchina. Cpt. Becchina was a young police officer when the murder happened.
The investigation determined that multiple people were shooting guns at each other and Bartholomew was an unintended victim caught in the cross fire.
Bartholomew's friends called him to ask he pick them up after a night of drinking. When he arrived, he was struck by a stray bullet.
"I hate to say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time because he had every right to be there and his life not be in jeopardy," his mother said.
Captain Becchina said the investigation is open and unsolved.
"Things were different back in 2007 than they are now," Cpt. Becchina said. "Some of the things that are common place in homicide investigations now are things like surveillance cameras in all parts of the city, license plate readers, other type of technologies — those were barely emerging in 2007."
Detectives believe a solid tip or witnesses could be the nudge the investigation needs.
Becchina said: "It is still awaiting some small, little piece of information or something from somebody to come forward to corroborate what detectives were able to find out back then."
Over the years, Kirwan hasn't lost hope that a witness or someone with information can help solve Bartholomew's murder.
She said: "Time has passed. The people involved could be in jail, could be dead — we don't know. We’re going to do a last push with this reward money. We’re going to give it roughly six months."
"Every week, cases are solved by one, small tip": Family's intentions for reward money
In 2007, the Kansas City Metro Crime Stoppers would offer up to $1,000 for tips that helped solve an investigation.
Misty Kirwan's family started fundraisers to add to that that reward and incentivize the community to help detectives.
They raised $29,000.
Today, Crime Stoppers offers up to $25,000. The total combined reward from Bartholomew's family and Crime Stoppers is up to $54,000.
"One dollar or $50,000 — it’s the right thing to do.," Cpt. Becchina said. It’s the right thing to do for your friends, neighbors and community."
Kirwan wants the reward money to be used for good.
If there aren't any tips submitted to detectives in the next six months, the family intends to put their part of the reward money toward a scholarship in Chris's memory.
Bartholomew's family established a scholarship fund for students studying criminal justice.
They've given away 14 scholarships so far.
"Our hope is maybe one day the person who received his scholarship might help solve his murder," Kirwan said.
Since 2018, Crime Stoppers has received four tips about Bartholomew's murder.
The department doesn't have a record of any tips prior to that year because of software changes.
On November 16, Bartholomew would turn 40 years old. His mother hopes the tips will start coming in again.
"It's not going to change my life that much because he's still gone," Kirwan said. "I have to live without him everyday, but it would be justice for him and hopefully keep someone else safe," she said.
Becchina said there are detectives who are willing to go back to the case and "put everything they have into it."
From a mother who was only able to spend 21 years with her son, and nearly the same amount of time trying to find his killer, she tells other parents:
"Don't give up. You’re doing this for your babies. You would fight for them when they were alive — fight for them when they're gone," Kirwan said.
The KC Crime Stoppers Program provides a safe, anonymous way to provide information to law enforcement about a crime.
You can call (816) 474-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip through the website.
A person is eligible for a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment of a felony offender.
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