One Dallas family wants justice, and fast.
“We’re not going to be quiet and let this turn into a cold case,” said sister LaShaun Steward. “We’re here to get answers from the police.”
Jasmine Steward called 911 after she heard fighting on the other end of her sister, D’Lisa Kelley’s, cell phone. After a number of failed calls, Kelley sent two text messages. That was the last time she heard from her sister.
“We do rely on police, but in my sister’s case, they didn’t show up,” Steward said.
Family said police told them they couldn’t put out a missing person’s report until after a week, and gave them a number to call the next business day.
“They said ‘okay, we’ll see y’all Monday as if it wasn’t important to them,’” said Truth Seekers Texas Executive Director, Rev. Ronald W. Wright. “By them taking a nonchalant attitude, this young lady could have been killed the following day.”
The pregnant mother of a 2-year-old son was found dead—beaten and strangled in an abandoned home in Oak Cliff back in March. That’s why they’re creating the Kelley Alert, named after D’Lisa Kelley. They’re even presenting the plan to legislators.
“We are well aware of the amber alert and the senior citizens alert, but the purpose of the Kelley Alert is when anybody calls the 911 operator and says there’s a distressing sound, or someone’s in trouble…the Dallas Police Department needs to react immediately.”
“This can really change and save a lot of people,” Executive Director of the Kelley Alert Foundation added.
Dallas Police Department says this is still an active investigation. Major Max Geron of DPD released this statement, “We understand the family continues to grieve..and will continue to share everything appropriate to the family as we try to find Ms. Kelley’s killer.”
“She loved her family, most of all, she loved her son,” reflected Steward. “She knows it’s probably hard for me to do this, but if it was me, she’d do it for me.”
Kelley was on her way to pay respects at a friend’s wake—now this family is paying their respects to her.
