Justice for Lorenzo: Finding answers to unsolved crimes

By Jenna Wilson

It’s been six years since the murder of Lorenzo L. Lucas in St. Joseph and detectives are working through his unsolved homicide along with other cases to bring justice to families.

The most visible part of what St. Joseph police do can be seen on any given day on local roadways. Still, officers describe the important work being done by investigators tackling several unsolved cases behind closed doors.

“Since 1996 to current, there is six unsolved homicides,” said Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department. “Keep in mind that several of those homicides are cases in which we are fairly confident in who the suspect is. It’s just that we’re unable to make a complete case and there’s a lot of reasons behind that.”

Many times, complex investigations lead to cold cases. Leads have been followed, suspects cleared and evidence collected. However, these cases can go cold for years, if not decades, letting killers get away with murder.

Detectives are working to make sure Lucas’ case, along with the five others, doesn’t go unsolved.

As they continue searching for leads, the family of Lucas is hopeful they will soon get the justice they’ve been searching for over the last six years.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Nina Miller, Lucas’ mother. “We’re grateful to know that God’s timing is perfect and when that time is right, it will happen and those responsible will be brought to justice. What I do know is that the detectives are working diligently on this case.”

The body of 24-year-old Lucas was found on March 25, 2018, inside a minivan parked in the 2700 block of Lafayette Street in St. Joseph. Since the day of the shooting, detectives have interviewed several people who were in custody on other matters, but there have been no arrests related to the case.

On a recent visit to the spot where her son was found, Miller remembered the day he was murdered like it was yesterday.

“I was living in St. Louis at the time and his dad called me and told me there was a shooting right here on 27th and Lafayette,” Miller said. “That’s where Lorenzo was living at the time and it was devasting … to get a phone call telling you that your son was shot and later finding out it was murder.”

Lucas left behind two children, Lorenzo Jr., who wears the number 12 on his football jersey as his father did, and Zoe, who never got the opportunity to meet him.

“It’s unfortunate,” Miller said. “There are times Lorenzo says that he wishes dad was at his football games but my family does our best to stay close to each other. God has been continuing to carry us through this journey and it’s been hard, but I’m trusting this process.”

Still, even with the challenges detectives are facing to solve this case, Wilson said criminals who think they may have gotten away with their crimes should not be so certain.

“We still talk to the prosecutors and see if there’s anything that’s come along that we could look into to reopen a case and reinvestigate some things,” Wilson said. “Sometimes what happens is other criminal cases will come along that will generate a lead from a past case. And that’s happened more times than not, not just with homicide cases.”

Working alongside the prosecuting attorney’s office has helped detectives close many complex cases over the years, and finding a new spark in an unsolved case is the goal of the department.

“We absolutely want to bring an offender to justice,” Wilson said. “Equally, as much we want to serve the victims and the victim’s family in these types of cases, I’ll add to that it becomes an emotional investment for the investigators as well. They take pride in what they do, they become invested in these cases and they build a connection with these families and want to close these cases for them.”

Detective Shane Luikart is the lead investigator on Lucas’ case. He said he wanted nothing more than to give this family answers.

“Solving cases and finding that truth is imperative to me,” he said. “The pain the family feels will never stop but the truth can help families heal. During the process of trying to bring closure to victims and families, I have developed relationships with members of crime victims’ families and will continue to fight for them and help them find the peace they deserve.”

Anyone with information regarding Lucas’ case or any other crime is encouraged to contact the police department at 816-238-TIPS.