Neighbours recall elderly man’s death as police search for suspect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Residents of a Northland apartment complex are mourning the death of their 78-year-old neighbor.

On Sunday, Harold Alderson died after an argument with a homeless man who tried to steal a broom.

Debra Luna Chappelow said she was good friends with Alderson and that many of them were sitting on the porch when it happened.

“A kid came riding his bike, loaded up like he lived in it, and he grabbed our broom that we keep there and use to clean the sidewalks, and Harold stood up and said, ‘I want that broom back.’ And then the kid pushed him, and he fell and hit his head,” Chappelow said.

Alderson later died at a hospital. Police are investigating his death as a homicide. No arrests had been made Monday evening. KCPD said it has a person of interest.

“It makes no sense because of the broom, it doesn’t make much sense,” Chappelow said. “It’s a bad situation all the way around.

READ MORE: Kansas City police investigate death of 78-year-old man as homicide

Chappelow said some homeless people in the area are causing problems.

“I keep thinking about ideas — wouldn’t it be great if they did this or that — but there’s no easy solution,” Chappelow said. “There has to be a way, instead of blocking them or running them out of the woods. Not everyone wants help, but everyone needs it.”

Meanwhile, she wants people to know who her good friend was.

“I knew Harold because every time I went out in the garden, he was always there,” Chappelow said. “We would sit together on the porch; he was a good man. If I ever had a problem or needed anything, Harold was there.”

Chappelow said life is precious and urges people to be cautious.

“If someone is bothering you, it’s not worth fighting because tragedy happens, and this was a senseless tragedy,” Chappelow said. “North of the river used to be a very quiet, safe place; now there’s no safe place.”

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.