The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • H19

SUNDAY JULY 16 2017 19HCold CasesTHE KANSAS CITY STAR Sometime during the early morning hours of Oct. 18, 1994, a disturb- ance broke out between a man and a woman in the courtyard of an apartment building at 3744 Warwick in Kansas City. Police responded and discovered the bloodied body of 26-year-old Cali- fornia native Twila Harris lying just inside an open door to her apartment about 4:36 a.m. body was in a front room. No one else was inside.

She was pro- nounced dead at the scene; authorities said she had been stabbed to death. Neighbors reported hearing a man and woman scuffling and arguing loudly and a female screaming for help. They told police a man was seen running away from the scene toward 38th and Walnut, but no other in- formation was developed. death was one of five murders in a 37-hour period that week and the 12th murder in October 1994. Harris, who was born in Los Angeles, had moved to Kansas City one year prior to her death.

She was an insurance specialist for Americo Life Inc. and a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church. Toriano Porter: 816-234-4779, Woman killed in 1994 had moved to KC one year earlier Kansas City Police Department Twila Harris, 26, was found stabbed to death in her apartment Oct. 18, 1994. Neighbors reported hearing a man and a woman arguing and then a woman screaming for help.

Case file Name: Twila Harris of Kansas City Age: 26 Circumstances of the crime: Stabbed to death just inside her Kansas City apartment at 3744 Warwick about 4:35 a.m. Oct. 18, 1994. Suspect information: A male was seen running away from the scene toward 38th and Walnut, but no other information was developed. Anyone with information is asked to call: The Kansas City Police Cold Case Squad.

816-234-5136. BY TORIANO PORTER Civella along with Las Vegas connections swooped up in a sting operation that exposed illegal bookmaking. But Sal Manzo struck most law enforcers as a guy who knew a little but control a lot. me to say it was a gangland hit is ridicu- said Kansas City Police Sgt. Tom Moss in the weeks after disappearance.

Did he vanish of his own volition? On probation for his guilty plea in gambling operations, Manzo was not one to miss a meeting with corrections officers or purposely drop out of sight, his acquaintances said. Former agent Ouseley told The Star in 1987: it was a hit, why remove the clothing? If someone wanted the clothing found, it may have been to send a mes- sage that the body if there was a murder would not be Rick Montgomery: 816-234-4410, FROM PAGE 13H MANZO she was not known to use drugs and her father praised her dedication to serving at Sheffield As- sembly of God Church. all accounts she was a good Caldwell said. death we see is tragic, but especially tragic when it happens to a child who thinks in the safety of her own Within a month of the slaying three male teens, two of them juveniles, were arrested for ques- tioning. Police appeared to be moving toward a theory that the girl died in a botched robbery.

Eventually all three suspects were charged on various counts of murder and sexual assault in death. But in- vestigators were never able to place any of the youths at the crime scene, and at least one man was released after serving eight months in jail. In his case DNA tests failed to link him to the crimes. Prosecutors ultimately saw the case unravel, and Fawn murder stood as an early example of DNA testing that pro- duced inconclusive if not faulty results. In their absence of an- swers, parents took solace in her devo- tion to church and Chris- tian youth activities.

the only thing holding us togeth- father John Cox would say in the hours after the crime, that be able to spend the rest of eternity with her some Rick Montgomery: 816-234-4410, FROM PAGE 18H COX KILLEDHER EITHER HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A FELONY OR IS NO LONGER ALIVE. PEOPLE START KILLING AND THEN QUIT AND STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, AS IF THEY FELL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Sgt. Benjamin Caldwell.