Cold case: Mother of 4 murdered 5 years ago, and still no answers

PITTSBURGH — A family is frustrated after a mother of four was murdered, and the search for justice went cold.

It has been five years since 25-year-old Kala Thomas was killed. Her body was found on a hillside near her home.

No one has been charged with the crime.

“I wear it every day. My husband bought it for me a year after she died,” said Latrice Taylor, the victim’s sister.

Taylor wears the necklace with a picture of her baby sister on it.

She said it’s a constant reminder that her sister is now with her all the time.

“We recovered the body of a 25-year old female from a hillside here in Garfield, " said Sonya Toler, who at the time was a spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety.

In May 2017, the body of 25-year old Kala Renee Thomas was found shot in the head. Her body was dumped on a hillside near her Garfield home.

“We don’t know clearly how long she had been missing. A report did come in,” said Toler.

“That was Tuesday, May 23. So, we was out there from like 9 in the morning till they found her at at night, 9 or 10 at night. It was all day long. We was all looking for her,” said Taylor.

Four months earlier, Kala had given birth to her second set of twins.

They lived in a house with Thomas’ boyfriend, the father of the new twins.

She worked as a nursing assistant and had plans to go back to school to become a registered nurse.

“She’s going back for her RN that Monday actually,” said Taylor.

Taylor told Target 11 that her daughter, who was 8 at the time, spent the weekend at Kala’s house playing with her cousins.

On Monday morning, Taylor said she went to her sister’s house to pick up her daughter. She said Kala wasn’t home and neither was her boyfriend. Taylor says the boyfriend’s brother was in the house.

“He says she went to take them to school. I should have known, I guess, I mean you never think nothing like this could have happened,” said Taylor.

Taylor said she asked her daughter and the other kids if they saw or heard anything.

“I asked them when was the last time you all seen Kayla, when’s the last time you seen your Momma. He said I don’t know she’s upstairs laying down. She was upstairs laying down,” said Taylor, who later spoke with Kala’s boyfriend.

“He just said she left, like, he couldn’t find her. She just up and left,” said Taylor.

Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle reached out to Pittsburgh police and a spokesperson told Earle that no one was available to talk about the case. The spokesperson added that “it’s still very much under investigation but there’s no new information to share at this time.”

Family members told Earle they are not surprised that there’s been no resolution. They said they are frustrated and angry.

“Beyond mad. Mad is not even a word. I don’t have anything to say I’m so mad. The way she died. and no one is doing nothing about it,” said Taylor.

Latrice and her sister are raising Kala’s four children. Family members are still hoping that a five thousand dollar reward that was announced a couple years ago and is still available will ultimately convince someone to come forward with information police need to finally solve this case and bring closure.

Family still seeking answers 2 years after woman found shot to death Family still seeking answers 2 years after woman found shot to death

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