On the night of August 7, 2016, Dominique Ray, 23, was found shot to death in his Topeka apartment. His girlfriend, 20-year-old Camrah Trotter, was also found shot and raped while in her third trimester; her unborn child, whom the family had planned to name Ariyah, was also killed. A young child who was at the scene hid under a bed during the attack.

The case remained cold for years before an arrest in September 2020. Authorities charged 38-year-old Yanez Sanford of Topeka with capital murder, premeditated murder, rape, and kidnapping. Prosecutors relied on the child witness identifying Sanford, DNA evidence of Sanford’s seminal fluids on Trotter, and an identification by Ray’s cousin who said two men waited and opened fire when Ray arrived. The defense disputed the identifications, suggested other possible suspects and a retaliatory motive, and argued the DNA could reflect a consensual encounter in the week before the killings.

A Shawnee County jury later acquitted Sanford of all charges in May 2024. Police said they continued to investigate possible involvement by others, but no additional charges have been announced. Does anyone have information about that night or the people in the neighborhood who might help move this case forward?