Dallas

Family of Shavon Randle Renews Calls to Tear Down House Where She Was Murdered

The city of Dallas announced Thursday that it would clean up the property where 13-year-old Shavon Randle and 19-year-old Michael Titus were found murdered.

Two months after their murders, Randle's family is once again calling for the abandoned house to be torn down.

"The house needs to go right now. It should have been gone the day they found them in the house," said Cynthia King, Randle's great aunt. "It's too hard on us. Let's get rid of it so we can continue to work on our grieving in a productive manner."

In July, plans to demolish the home in the 2200 block of East Kiest Boulevard were put on hold by the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. No one has been charged with murder in their deaths, and the home could still yield evidence.

King says she understands investigators need to work, but in the days following the murders she saw people walking in and out of the home.

"How can people be so rude and so disrespectful?" she asked, exasperated.

Parents and students from nearby Oliver W. Holmes Humanities/Communications Academy see the house every day on their way to and from school, but parents gave mixed responses when asked whether the home should be torn down.

"I feel like they should have taken all of that down," said Rosemary Smith. "All of it should be gone. Why is it still standing there?"

Some parents believe the home itself is a memorial to Shavon and should stay standing.

"That's the place where the lady's daughter was last found, and maybe she found peace there," said LaKesha Figures.

With the city coming to clean the property on Friday, King moved a large pile of Teddy bears and stuffed animals to her home. She placed them next to a wishing well in her front yard.

She wants Shavon's memory to live on there, not at the place where her life was cut short.

"We love you Shavon," King said. "You will never be forgotten."

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