Chester DeLon Kelley, a beloved son, father, and brother, was known to his family and friends for his loving nature. A 34-year-old Black man, Chester was a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri, where he was born and raised. He attended Van Horn High School and was building a life surrounded by a large, close-knit family. He was the cherished son of Chester and Joyce Kelley. Remembered as a dedicated father, he left behind his son, De’Lon, and his daughter, Chestenna. He was a protective older brother to his sister, Joycelynn, and a dear family member to a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins who felt his loss profoundly. His life was a cornerstone of his family, and his sudden absence left a void that has never been filled.
In the earliest hours of Saturday, October 22, 2011, that life was violently cut short.
Just before 1:00 a.m., officers with the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to an apartment complex near the intersection of 76th Street and Monroe Avenue in the Marlborough Heights neighborhood. They were responding to a call about a shooting. Inside one of the apartment buildings, they made a grim discovery in a stairwell. Chester Kelley was found suffering from gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived at the scene, but his injuries were too severe. Chester was pronounced dead where he was found. His death was the 88th homicide recorded in Kansas City that year, a statistic that did little to capture the personal devastation it caused.
The investigation into Chester’s murder was launched immediately by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Detectives processed the scene in the apartment building stairwell, searching for physical evidence and seeking witnesses who might have heard or seen something around the time of the shooting. In the immediate aftermath, however, police released few details to the public. No description of a possible suspect or vehicle was ever announced, and a motive for the shooting was never established. Despite the work of investigators, the case yielded no arrests, and the trail of information quickly went cold. The specific circumstances of what led Chester to that apartment building and who confronted him there remain unanswered questions at the heart of the investigation.
In the days following the tragedy, Chester’s family gathered to mourn and say their final goodbyes. His funeral service was held at the Duane E. Harvey Funeral Directors Chapel, where friends and relatives remembered the man they loved. He was later laid to rest at Brooking Cemetery. For his parents, siblings, and especially his two young children, the grief was compounded by the lack of justice. The years have passed without any resolution, and the pain of their loss remains sharp, deepened by the knowledge that the person responsible for his death has never been held accountable.
Today, the murder of Chester D. Kelley is considered a cold case. His is one of many unsolved homicides in Kansas City that families and advocates refuse to let fade from public memory. The investigation remains open with the Kansas City Police Department, but without new leads or information, progress is stalled. The case stands as a stark reminder of the enduring impact of gun violence and the long shadow it casts over families who are left to navigate a world without their loved one, all while waiting for answers that may never come.
Detectives continue to seek any information that could break the silence in this case. A significant reward is often available for information leading to an arrest in Kansas City homicide cases. Anyone who knows what happened to Chester Kelley in the early morning hours of October 22, 2011, is urged to contact the Kansas City TIPS Hotline.
