Silke Jasso
It’s too much to bear for a parent.
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A Kansas mother whose 10-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered in 1999 had to bury her oldest daughter after she was shot and killed last week in a car.
Casey Eaton, 34, was shot and killed Wednesday in Kansas City, Kans. The main suspect in the killing has been arrested.
Emenencio Lansdown, 41, was arrested Sunday morning after a five-hour standoff. Lansdown shot at officers several times before ultimately surrendering around 7 a.m.
Prosecutors have charged Lansdown with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm.
Eaton’s sister, Pamela Butler, was 10 in October 1999 when she was kidnapped while roller-skating near her Kansas City, Kans., home. The abductor, Keith Nelson, got away, and Butler’s body was later found in Grain Valley, Mo.
Nelson is now on death row, awaiting his execution.
Grieving mother Cherri West can’t believe this has happened again.
“I can’t believe this has happened to me again,” she told Fox 4 KC. “You kind of sit back and you wonder what have you done in life for something like this to be done to you.”
Casey was the oldest sister, and West called Eaton her “biggest helper.”
“She was my biggest helper. Anything that I needed done, like taking the kids to the dentist, do whatever, she did for me, because I work,” she said.
Eaton was 16 at the time her little sister was kidnapped. She witnessed it and chased after Nelson.
“She was screaming down the street, and that’s where the neighbor on the next block come down and started chasing the truck and lost it, but he got the tag number for us,” West recalled.
“I just can’t figure out life,” West told the Kansas City Star. “I didn’t dream I’d be standing back here again.”
“How much can one family take?” she asked. “It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a tough fight.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help cover the expenses of Eaton’s funeral. At the time of this writing, more than $4,500 of the $10,000 has been raised.
The campaign was started by Angelica Daniella Marie, Eaton’s daughter, on behalf of West. There she details that Eaton is survived by two sons, two daughters, a grandchild, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.
My mother was murdered last night 4/19/17. She was murdered after she got off work in front of the house that she way staying at. My family needs help to pay for her funeral expenses. She left behind 2 sons and 2 daughters, a grandbaby, a mother, a father, sister’s, brother’s, nieces, nephews, aunt’s, uncle’s, and cousin’s. We appreciate anything that you can help with.
Police are still investigating what led to the murder.
In this dark time, West says that she is leaning on faith.
“I have to have faith,” she said. “I’ve got to believe that [they are together in heaven].”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
