KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s been over two decades, but the family of a Kansas City, Kansas homicide victim is still hoping that her case can be solved.

Family members of Christina Ranae King gathered near North 27th Street and Sewell Avenue for a balloon release and prayer vigil Monday evening.

King was beaten to death on Christmas Day in 1998. At the time, her daughter, April Parks, was only 10-years-old.

“Who did it? Why? How could they do that to such a young person? She was only 26. And like, her autopsy there were so many injuries and so many abrasions and bruises. I just don’t understand what she could have done that bad to deserve that,” she said.

The vigil was organized by Justice for Wyandotte, an advocacy group that works to promote transparency in law enforcement.

Organizer Khadijah Hardaway said cases like this are why the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department needs to open a cold case unit.

“One of the things we have asked the new police chief is to put in a cold case unit and use the dollars already there to fund that so that we can get some kind of transparency going on for some of these cold cases and some of the murders that are being committed now,” Hardaway said.

A spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department said the case is still an open investigation and that opening a cold case unit is one of Chief Karl Oakman’s top priorities.   

Anyone with information in the murder of Christina Ranae King is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).