KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Family, friends and the community came together this evening to remember the life of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro.
One year ago he was shot and killed while he slept at the Citadel Apartments on 63rd and Paseo.
“That’s what I miss most though, him calling me, talking to me, us playing basketball, and stuff like that. It’s just been a lot of emotion. It’s been an eventful year and a long grieving process. This is hard, this is a tough one,” said his father, Rapheal Taliferro.
Multiple balloon releases were held simultaneously to honor the young boy’s life. The main one at XII Gates Cemetery where he is buried.
“My children have never been to nothing like this before. This is something new to them. Kids don’t deserve that. They deserve to live the life they should be living. They shouldn’t die young,” said Brenda Baker, whose son played basketball with LeGend.
The Kansas City Police Department held an award ceremony honoring more than 50 members of the department, including detectives and FBI agents credited for helping solve LeGend’s murder.
“We want to solve every single case, obviously we want to, but when there’s a child, I have small children as well, when I’m standing over that child, it really hit home. You really want to solve that case for the family, being a father, you want to solve that case even more,” Det. Danny Thomas with KCPD Homicide Unit said.
Thomas, along with Det. Hobart Price, Sergeant Janice Heins and FBI Special agent Trisha Dewet were honored with a Certificate of Commendation.
LeGend’s father said while they are on their way to justice, there is still a lot to be learned about his son’s death.
“I know it’s a start. Change is coming in the city. ‘That’s what I’m learning from this situation getting educated on violence, domestic violence and the things that lead up to why we are going to shoot. That’s the thing I’m trying to learn and figure out, what causes us to go up to that point,” Taliferro said.
The man charged with Legend’s murder 22-year-old Ryson Ellis is charged with second degree murder. His trial is set for January.
