Family of Kevin Kennard, man killed in Fort Worth shooting a year ago, still seeks justice

Tuesday marked one year since Kevin “KP” Kennard was shot and killed in Fort Worth.

The 58-year-old man was fired upon in the 1300 block of Savage Drive around 8:45 p.m. Oct. 25, 2021. He died at the hospital that night from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Now, with the anniversary of his death passing Tuesday, no arrests have been made in the case. Cory Session, Kennard’s brother, said he’s trying to change that.

Session, an advocate who works with the Innocence Project to identify and free people convicted of crimes they did not commit, planted signs Tuesday in the south Fort Worth neighborhood where his brother was killed, advertising a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and murder conviction of Kennard’s killer.

Session says there are people who know the name of the person who shot his brother, but they won’t tell that name to police.

“I think about the number of cases we worked on that we got people exonerated and then found out who pointed to the other person, but I feel helpless because I can’t solve this one,” Session said. “We just need a witness who was there. Just one.”

The signs, with a picture of Kennard and “$5,000 REWARD” in big, bold red letters, will get someone’s attention, he hopes.

In talking with investigators and Fort Worth police, Session said they have done, and are continuing to do, everything they can to identify Kennard’s killer. But without people willing to share what they know, there’s only so much they can do.

“Nobody will say who, say the name,” Session said. “I can say who it is, but I wasn’t there so what I say doesn’t prove anything.”

Kennard was a man determined to help the people around him find peaceful resolutions to problems, Session said. He almost always knew how to calm people down, help them think rationally and come to understand each other.

“Kevin would always say something to them that made them laugh so they couldn’t be angry any more. He was a comedian,” Session said. “We always called him KP cause he kept the peace.”

Described by Session as a selfless man, Kennard died while trying to help the son of one of his friends avoid a conflict after he helped another friend replace a faucet at his home in the area. He said he believes that friend’s son knows how shot and killed his brother.

A psychology professor at UT Arlington and a member of the Fort Worth Race and Culture Task Force, Session said he’s going to do anything he to help find his brother’s killer. But he’s also trying to find peace and pass along what he learned from Kennard.

“Mother always said once you’ve done all you can do, it’s time to let go and let God,” Session said. “You can’t do anything legally, morally, ethically except hope he gains a conscience or that someone who was there speaks up. This is not how you settle disputes, with guns. You do what Kevin did, you blow the whistle and say go to your corners. Time out.”