Police in Kansas City, Missouri are being called out for “dismissing” reports of missing Black women. Meanwhile, a woman who recently survived a kidnapping in the area believes that there are more victims that aren’t getting any attention or justice. What’s going on in Missouri, and how many more women of color will fall victim to crime before police in KC take it seriously?
CNN reports that a 22-year-old woman was recently kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a man whom she believes might have more victims. The man, named Timothy Marion Haslett, Jr., reportedly abducted the young woman from Kansas City before keeping her captive in his home in Excelsior Springs. Fortunately, the unnamed victim was able to escape from the home, where she’d been for a “significant period of time.”
The woman, identified only as “TJ” in some reports, says that Haslett killed her friends and held her captive. No proof of any other victims have been found at this time, but that doesn’t mean she’s not telling the truth. Furthermore, people living in Kansas City are criticizing police for ignoring previous reports of missing Black women in the city — reports that have been increasing.
Why are police in Kansas City, Missouri ignoring these reports? “TJ,” a woman of color who was lucky to survive her attack, believes that there are more victims — and she is probably right. Black women are notoriously neglected by police when it comes to being victims of violent crimes. In fact, there have been a handful of serial killers who preyed on women of color for years without getting caught due to this concept.
Chelsea Hoffman is a true crime writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is best known for her coverage of missing people including the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann as well as the heartbreaking cases of Dylan Redwine, Heather Elvis and many others.
