Thousands in reward money still available for unsolved homicides in Shawnee Co.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Shawnee County Crime Stoppers says enhanced rewards are being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for homicides in the community.

“Just off the top of my head I know of probably 3 or 4 homicides that have been solved based on a Crime Stoppers tip. One of the homicides the police at that point didn’t even know the homicide had occurred yet,” says Jer Cole, Coordinator at Shawnee County Crime Stoppers.

$5,000 is available for information leading to an arrest in the 2022 homicide of Dustin M. Clayton.

“They have a pretty good description with a black SUV, with a white male driver, with curly or unkept hair speeding away from the scene so I think they’re pretty close on that one and I feel like if they could get that one more piece of little information to get somebody arrested for that it would be a blessing to everybody,” says Cole.

Jeri Cole with Shawnee County Crime Stoppers says the organization is a non-profit not affiliated with law enforcement.

“None of that is tracked the IP address is not tracked. There’s no caller ID, nothing like that. So when you call in you get a tip number and a password so you can always add on to your tip. So when they call me back and give me that tip number then I’m able to look it up and see yes the officer says there was an arrest and it’s based on your tip then we set a time that I meet with them in a parking lot and I give them cash. I just sit in my car and wait for them to walk up to my car and give me their tip number and I hand them cash and they say thank you and walk away,” says Cole.

Crime Stoppers is also offering enhanced rewards of $22,000 for Mercedes Holford and Crystal Andrews’ deaths, a $22,000 reward for John K. Waller and $7,000 for Dwane D. Simmons.

Cole says every tip helps.

“It’s always in the back of your mind that you have this open case especially with the Crystal being so young. She was only 13 and John Waller too like I said he was in his home just an innocent victim in his home, then Dwane some justice has been done on that but not everybody has been held accountable,” says Cole.

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