COPYRIGHT 2023 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
JOPLIN, Mo.-It has been a year since the intersection of 5th and Connor Avenue in Joplin, Missouri, was covered in crime tape and police officers. Today, the tape and officers are gone, but the mystery of what happened on May 17th, 2022, still lingers.
Joplin police Investigations Sergeant Luke Stahl reveals that there were two victims in this case, and Kenneth J. Matthews was ultimately the deceased. Matthews was shot multiple times around 6 pm on South Connor Avenue while walking with a friend. He was pronounced dead on the scene after the shooter fled in a dark-colored passenger vehicle. "He wasn't the intended target. And so he was the bystander. And it just makes it that much worse," said Crystal M. Garland, Matthews' sister.
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A year later, the Matthews family is still seeking justice. JPD is keeping in touch with the family to let them know they're still investigating. Garland said, "I haven't talked to detectives at all in a couple of months because it just gets really disheartening to call and find out that there's been no further movement on the case."
Matthews' sister remembers him as a teddy bear. Though not siblings by blood, they still share that bond. "I like to say we were in foster care. We did a lot of walking around the streets when we were younger, you know, raising hell, doing what little redneck kids do," Garland recalls.
Garland believes someone in the community has information, stating, "Now, I know people back there know what happened. I know those streets. I grew up on those streets. People are talking. I guarantee you people are talking. It's just a matter of the police being able to pin it down on somebody."
As the investigation continues, Matthews' family and the community continue to remember him and hope that justice is served.
COPYRIGHT 2023 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Amber is from Raeford, North Carolina, and spent her college years in the Appalachian mountains at Western Carolina University. She graduated with double concentrations in Broadcasting and Journalism with a minor in Computer Information Systems. During Amber’s time there, she worked in IT repairing computers and as a radio host for her classic rock radio program. Amber joined KOAM’s team to learn and grow as a reporter. When she’s not working, Amber is hanging out with her chihuahua or playing video games.
