Frank Elliot Raney Jr. was a young man with a clear vision for his future, a future filled with the music he was passionate about creating. A 24-year-old Black man from Kansas City, Missouri, Frank was known to his family and friends as a dreamer, a jokester, and a "cornball" with a laid-back demeanor and a "corny laugh." Born on April 19, 1993, to LaNita Raney and Frank Raney Sr., he was the oldest of three siblings, and his family, including his brother Malcolm and sister Faryn, was the bedrock of his life. He graduated from Center High School and briefly attended Metropolitan Community College for a semester before deciding to pour all his energy into his true calling: music. This decision was the beginning of a promising, albeit tragically short, career.
Under the stage name FrankieBTW, Frank was making a name for himself in the rap world. The "BTW" in his name was a nod to a close-knit group of friends he considered "Brothers Through Whatever." In just three years, he had produced two mixtapes and released his first full album, "Papi Chulo," on iTunes in March 2017. His talent and drive were undeniable; in 2014, he and his best friend, fellow artist Mykell Vaughn, had the opportunity to perform on the "I Am T-Pain" tour. Beyond music, Frank’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident. He was developing his own apparel brand, also named 'Papi Chulo,' and lived by the motto, "Grindin til we touch a Trilli, baby!" With plans to move to California to further his career, his future seemed bright and limitless. "He just did not give up on his dreams,” his mother, LaNita, recalled. “I loved that about him. Entrepreneurship was definitely in his blood.”
The momentum of Frank's rising career came to a devastating halt in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 8, 2017. At around 6 a.m., officers from the Kansas City Police Department were called to the vicinity of Bannister Road and McGee Street in the southeastern part of the city. There, they discovered Frank inside a car, suffering from gunshot wounds. Medical responders pronounced him dead at the scene. His death marked the city's 84th homicide of 2017, a year that saw a significant 50 percent increase in killings compared to the same period in 2016. The news shattered his family and the community that had been watching his star rise.
The investigation into Frank’s murder was handled by the Kansas City Police Department. Detectives worked the case and were able to identify two suspects. They presented their findings, which reportedly included a substantial amount of evidence—the gun, a bullet, fingerprints, and trajectory information from the car—to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office. Despite the evidence collected by police, the prosecutor’s office declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence to move forward with a prosecution. No arrests were ever made, and the case grew cold, leaving a void of unanswered questions and unserved justice.
For Frank's family, the legal outcome was incomprehensible and deeply frustrating. His mother, LaNita Raney, has been vocal about her pain and her struggle to understand why the evidence gathered was not enough to bring charges against the individuals police had identified. The decision left the family grappling not only with the violent loss of their loved one but also with a justice system they feel failed them. While the police officially consider the case closed, there remains the possibility of it being reopened if new information or witnesses emerge.
Years after his death, the memory of Frank "FrankieBTW" Raney Jr. lives on through his music and the people who loved him. Friends and family gathered for a memorial service on July 15, 2017, at Memorial Church International. Online, tributes continue to be paid by those who remember his chill personality and those who are still discovering his artistic work. His case remains unsolved, a painful chapter for a family that lost a son, brother, and cousin, and for a city that lost a talented artist on the verge of realizing his dreams.
