Nearly two decades after Christopher Bartholomew lost his life in Westport, Kansas City police are still asking the public to come forward, and the case is still carrying a significant reward.
KCPD’s public Unsolved / Cold Cases section currently advertises $10,000 for successful tips, while Bartholomew’s individual case listing adds another $30,000 for information leading to an arrest, putting the publicly posted reward tied to the case at up to $40,000.
Bartholomew was 21 years old when he was hit by a bullet near 39th and Broadway by the Westport entertainment district at about 3:20 a.m. on May 20, 2007.
KCPD says he and a friend were on foot when rival gang members in several vehicles began firing at each other, and Bartholomew, described by police as an innocent bystander, was caught in the middle.
He later lost his life from his injury. KCPD lists the case under report number 07-36546.
What keeps this case from fading into the background is how personal it still feels for the people who loved him.
Read More: Kansas City-Area School Administrator Faces Charges After Osage Beach Bar IncidentHis mother, Misty Kirwan, has continued to speak publicly over the years, remembering a son who was loyal, protective and always ready to help.
In one recent interview, she said, “Chris believed in good in the world. He believed in the best in people.”
In another, she made clear she still believes someone out there knows what happened, saying, “There’s got to be somebody that knows something.”
The family’s account of that night has stayed remarkably consistent. Kirwan said Christopher had gone to Westport to pick up a friend who had been drinking, and after the group got separated in the closing-time crowd, he and another friend were standing on the sidewalk when bullets started flying between people in cars.
What should have been a simple late-night ride home instead became a case that has now remained open for years without an arrest.
Even after all this time, the case has not been closed. KCPD’s cold case page still urges anyone with information to contact the Cold Case Squad at 816-234-5136.
Public reporting from last year also showed the family continuing to push for answers, with Kirwan saying, “People don’t stay this quiet. No one stays this quiet.” The message from both police and family is the same: even now, one solid tip could still matter.
For Christopher Bartholomew’s family, the calendar may keep moving, but the wait for answers has never really ended.
Anyone with information can contact KCPD’s Cold Case Squad at 816-234-5136 or submit an anonymous tip through Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS.
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