Kansas City Man Sentenced for 2017 Murder
A Wyandotte County judge sentenced Luis F. Samano to 18 years for the killing of 15-year-old December Htoo.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Criminal Justice
Wyandotte County District Judge Delia M. York sentenced Luis F. Samano to 18 years in prison for the 2017 murder of December Htoo. The 15-year-old victim was fatally shot at a laundromat in the 2400 block of South 34th Street in Kansas City, Kansas.
Why it matters
The sentencing concludes a cold case investigation involving a juvenile suspect who was already serving time for separate arson convictions. The case highlights the effectiveness of forensic ballistics in linking recovered weapons to past homicides.
Luis F. Samano received an 18-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in Wyandotte County. Prosecutors concurrently dismissed an attempted aggravated robbery charge.
The players
Delia M. York
She serves as a Wyandotte County District Judge who presided over the sentencing.
Luis F. Samano
He is the defendant who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2017 case.
December Htoo
He was the 15-year-old victim who was fatally shot at a laundromat in 2017.
Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department
This agency assigned a dedicated detective to the case in 2024 to finalize the investigation.
The details
The crime occurred in November 2017, when the defendant was 17 years old. Investigators later used forensic testing from a 2022 KBI lab result to connect a gun recovered in Lenexa to the shooting, leading to the eventual conviction.
Timeline
November 2017: December Htoo was shot to death.
2021: Police recovered the murder weapon in Lenexa.
2022: KBI lab test confirmed the weapon.
July 2024: Initial charges filed in juvenile court.
October 2026: Sentencing of Luis F. Samano.
Legal Context
This case follows the pattern of using centralized forensic ballistics data to link weapons recovered in separate jurisdictions to cold case homicides. The prosecution reflects the standard approach for managing long-term investigations in Kansas courts.
The conclusion of this case provides closure for the investigation into a 2017 homicide. Residents in the area may note that the local police department continues to allocate resources to finalize long-standing criminal files.
The takeaway
Advancements in forensic ballistics technology remain a critical tool for law enforcement in resolving aging homicide cases. Victims families may find delayed justice as police continue to leverage cross-jurisdictional evidence to secure convictions.
Further reading
Learn more about the local court system on our Criminal Justice page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Kansas City Star.
