Crime
16-Year-Old Girl Found Beaten to Death in Chicago Horan Park Identified as Kayla Aaliyah Joyce Love
CHICAGO, IL – Authorities have identified the teenage girl found brutally beaten to death at a West Side park as 16-year-old Kayla Aaliyah Joyce Love, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
On March 17, 2025, Chicago Police responded to Horan Park, located at Van Buren and Whipple, after receiving reports of an unconscious female.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the teen lying face down, barefoot, and unresponsive.
Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, but she was tragically pronounced dead on arrival (DOA).
A preliminary autopsy revealed that Kayla had suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries to her head and neck, as well as stab wounds to her face.
According to police, Kayla was reported missing on March 16, 2025, after last being seen around 6:00 p.m. at a McDonald’s restaurant near Roosevelt and Kedzie with friends.
Employees at the establishment reportedly asked the group to leave around 8:00 p.m. due to disruptive behavior.
Authorities are investigating reports that a female was seen being assaulted by a male at Horan Park on the same night Kayla was reported missing.
It remains unclear whether this incident is connected to her death.
No suspects are currently in custody, and Area 4 Detectives are leading the homicide investigation.
Law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously at CPDTIP.COM or by contacting the Chicago Police Department’s 11th District at (312) 746-8386.
Kayla, a junior at Manley High School, is the second Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student found deceased on the same day.
Less than three miles away, officers discovered the body of a 13-year-old boy—also reported missing—with a gunshot wound to the head, behind an apartment building.
Authorities continue to investigate both deaths as the community mourns the tragic loss of two young lives.
KANSAS CITY, MO – A man has been taken into custody in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred late Wednesday night at an apartment complex in Kansas City, according to local authorities.
The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) reported that officers responded to an apartment in the 600 block of East Minor Drive at approximately 11:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, they discovered two women suffering from stab wounds.
One of the victims, identified as Dayteonna Thompson, was found unresponsive with severe injuries. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The second victim, identified as Thompson’s mother, sustained a stab wound to the chest.
Emergency responders transported her to the hospital, and she is expected to survive, according to KCPD.
Authorities quickly identified and apprehended a male suspect who was known to the victims.
He was taken into custody as a person of interest in the homicide investigation.
Social media posts suggest that the suspect was in a relationship with Thompson, though police have not yet confirmed the nature of their relationship.
The investigation remains active, and authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact the Kansas City Police Department or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.