From the Hays (Kansas) Daily News comes this story regarding a murder victim from the Grace Brethren church there:
Friends, family dedicate park building to Portis man
By GAYLE WEBER
PORTIS — About 60 people gathered at the city park here Wednesday night to dedicate a piece of the town to Scott Noel.
Noel was killed March 25 at his home outside Portis, and the investigation still is ongoing to find a suspect or possible suspects.
Portis Pride, a group of about 10 volunteers working to improve the city park, dedicated a newly built shelterhouse in Noel’s memory.
“We’d started on it before Scott was killed,” said Darrel Wolters, member of Portis Pride. “We thought that it would remind us of his smiling face.”
Residents Junior and Roma Caldwell also donated a flagpole in Noel’s memory.
On the 25th of every month, family and friends of Noel have gathered to remember him and pray for the capture of the suspects in the crime.
“We don’t hear any news. All you hear is stories,” Wolters said. “It’s pretty frustrating for all of us. … Hopefully, they’ll find the culprits and then justice will be carried out.”
Sgt. Jack Ennis of the Osborne County Sheriff’s Department had no new information to release about the case Wednesday but said the investigation was ongoing.
Wolters said family and friends simply are looking for closure, though the town seems to be recovering from the tragedy.
Grace Brethren Church Pastor Dave Sarver said people still are a little hesitant, but it’s to be expected.
“I think people still (are), and that’s because it hasn’t been solved yet,” Sarver said.
Many people in the area are wearing Scott’s Prayer Team wristbands to remember to pray for the Noel family.
“I see a real unity forming,” Sarver said. “The wristbands — you start seeing them all over the place on people you’ve never met before. It’s been a wonderful thing that’s come out of a really bad tragedy.”
Sarver said all the proceeds from the wristbands go toward the children’s educational fund or the reward fund.
“I feel like we’re trying to get back to normal,” Wolters said. “We’re just trying to survive until we can get some justice.”