‘She was a ray of sunshine.’ GoFundMe set up to help family of mother found dead in KC
.png "A GoFundMe page has been created by the family of Ebony Duncan, a 44-year-old mom of three who was reported missing and later found dead in south Kansas City. The fundraiser is to help with the cost of services.")
A GoFundMe has been started for a woman who was found dead after disappearing from her place of work in Independence.
Nearly two months after Ebony Duncan, a 44-year-old mother of three children, went missing in September 2023, police found her body in a wooded area in South Kansas City.
Detectives searched the area of 83rd Street and Hillcrest Road on Oct. 31, 2023 with cadaver dogs after receiving information through a tip. A body located in the woods was later identified as Duncan.
In the description of the GoFundMe, Duncan’s family said she was “a ray of sunshine” that lit up any room she entered.
“She was the sort of person who left your soul feeling refreshed and a bit more whole anytime she came around,” the organizer said.
The family also said Duncan was outspoken and that her children were “her world.”
The fundraiser is created to help the family with funeral costs, according to the site. Services are tentatively scheduled for the end of January.
As of Jan. 6, the GoFundMe has collected $140 of its $6,000 goal.
Police investigate circumstances of Duncan’s death
Police have suspected foul play since early in their investigation, when Duncan was reported missing after not showing up for work Sept. 7, 2023.
Detectives spoke with one of Duncan’s co-workers who said an ex-boyfriend sent threatening messages to Duncan.
Duncan was last seen on a surveillance camera Sept. 6 getting inside a silver-colored sedan a short distance from her work in the 19200 block of East 37th Terrace.
After investigating, police came to suspect Duncan’s ex-boyfriend, Charles Smith-Howell, 41, may have kidnapped her. He has not been charged with a crime related to Duncan’s disappearance, but is currently facing a federal felony charge of illegally possessing ammunition.
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
