PHOENIX — Who killed Karrissa Danyelle Hamilton?
The 29-year-old was found dead inside her car at Steele Indian School Park in the late hours of Feb. 5.
Nine months after her murder, the case has gone cold. Karrissa's family is pleading with the community for help in getting them answers.
Karrissa was a single mother to a 3-year-old. She was an aspiring sports journalist who loved sports and had two bachelor's degrees, one from Northern Arizona University and another from Arizona State University, her family said Wednesday, during a press conference with Phoenix Police and Silent Witness.
"I miss her," Silvia Hamilton, Karissa's mother said. "There's not one second of the day that I don't think about her. They say time heals, it's been nine months, and it seems it's getting worse."
The homicide
Karrissa was found dead inside her gray Nissan Altima just after 10 p.m. on February 5. Her vehicle was parked with the engine running on the southeast side of Steele Indian School Park, near the Arizona State Veteran Home off of East Indian School Road and North 3rd Street.
Police responded to the scene after they got a report of an injured person. When officers arrived, they found Karrissa with a gunshot wound, unresponsive, inside her car.
Homicide detectives took over the case, but no suspect information has been released.
A kind, happy, person
Karrissa is described as a kind, happy person. Someone who helped others and did everything to provide for her son.
“To see those dreams taken from her, it’s devastating,” said Karrissa’s great uncle, David Giles.
The 29-year-old had moved to Phoenix from Yuma in August 2022 in hopes of a better life for her son, her family said. She was staying with her great-uncle.
On Saturday, Feb. 4, Karrissa had traveled to Yuma to attend a family’s baby shower. The next day, around noon, she traveled back to the Valley. No one ever heard from her again.
“That was out of character of her, she always let us know but she didn’t,” Brienza said. “[Family] started driving around the Phoenix area where they frequent… we were calling the hospitals. We were doing it for hours, well into past midnight.”
After an extensive search, they would learn of the tragic news after police arrived at Karrissa’s mother’s home.
Karrissa's family said she was the first granddaughter and was supposed to be the maid of honor at her aunt Patricia Brienza's wedding.
“There’s a big void in our lives and she was the one who filled it because she was the first granddaughter, the first niece, for 10 years she was our only one,” Brienza said. “We cherished her, we loved her.”
Brienza said she raised Karrissa for part of her life, while her mom was in school.
"Please if you know anything, please come forward," Silvia Hamilton said. "She was a really good person. if you know something, come forward."
Karrissa’s family contributed $8,000 on top of the Silent Witness reward of $2,000 for information that led to an arrest.
Anyone with information can call 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO and remain anonymous.
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