INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — At 2:00 in the morning in late July, 22-year-old Corey Laykovich came stumbling into his family’s home, near death, after being stabbed about a block away from his Independence home.
Now, more than three months later, Corey’s family is still searching for the person responsible for his death, and they’ve increased the reward money in an effort to entice someone to speak up.
Michelle Metje wears her son, Corey’s words, over her heart.
“It says, ‘Mom I love you, I miss you, and I’ll see you soon. Love Cory,'” Metje said her son’s words from memory.
His hand-written words from years ago keep Corey’s loving spirit alive for Metje, a priceless memory for a son she says was likely mugged and killed, even though he only had ten dollars in his pocket. She has a message for whoever’s responsible.
“You may not have thought that my son was worth more than 10 dollars, but someone may believe your life is worth five thousand,” she said.
Metje hopes $5,000 is enough to entice someone to put her son’s killer behind bars.
“Whoever did this will kill again. It’s not a matter if. I mean if they get away with this, they’re gonna do it again,” Metje said.
It’s become Metje’s top mission to find Corey’s killer. Through donations and fundraisers, her family’s raised thousands of dollars in reward money, tirelessly seeking justice for Corey, a college student and one-time member of the Army.
“I wanna cry and I wanna feel sorry for myself, but that’s not the way that Corey would want me to act,” Metje said tearfully.
Metje says she will fight until she finds the person who stabbed her son If you have information in his death, which happened in the 3900 block of Crackerneck Road in Independence, you’re asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.
To help Corey’s family or to find out more information about Corey, you may follow these links:
Facebook: In honor of Corey Laykovich
Website dedicated to finding Laykovich’s murderer
