26-year-old Kevin Ward had big dreams and he was excited because he was expecting a child of his own.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — At Chapel Hill funeral home in Cedar Hill on Friday morning, a St. Louis County mother was grappled with grief.
Katherine Ward finalized plans for her son’s unexpected death, 26-year-old Kevin Ward.
She shared with 5 On Your Side that Kevin was her main support person. She expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of her son, emphasizing that he was a wonderful child who did not deserve what happened to him. Reflecting on the situation, she mentioned that neither she nor Kevin ever imagined such a tragedy occurring. She felt trapped in a nightmarish reality, unable to break free from the pain.
The mother from south St. Louis County held a special place in her heart for Kevin, her eldest son among four siblings. She highlighted Kevin’s strong bond with his brothers and the profound impact his absence has had on the family. The devastation caused by the loss was clearly evident.
She knew Kevin was recently excited because he was expecting a child of his own. His fiancée, Kaitlyn, is due in June.
Kevin was a maintenance worker at MoDOT and Ward said, he had big dreams to buy a home in Cedar Hill when the baby arrived.
She lamented that a senseless act had taken her beloved child away, robbing her of the joy of seeing him come home, hearing him call her ‘mom’, and sharing special occasions like birthdays and Christmases. Through tears, she expressed the heart-wrenching realization that she would now have to experience moments like holding Kevin’s baby for the first time without him by her side.
This is after Kevin and Kaitlyn visited his dad 61-year-old Harold Luster at his High Ridge home on Christmas Eve.
RELATED: High Ridge man shot and killed son on Christmas Eve, deputies say
“(Harold) and another family member had been arguing prior, that did not have nothing to do with Kevin. He was already worked up over that incident,” Ward explained.
According to court records, Luster thought Kevin’s mom, Katherine, had cheated on him and accused his fiancée, Kaitlyn, of withholding information.
They said Kevin tried to deescalate the situation.
That’s when police said Luster grabbed his gun and eventually shot Kevin.
In between the shooting, Ward said Harold called her. She could hear Kevin in the background, as Harold beat Kevin’s truck, an item he adored.
She heard Kevin say “dad, why are you doing this, I don’t deserve this” and those were the last words she ever heard from him.
She then got another call from Harold, saying he shot someone.
Ward was preparing Kevin’s favorite snacks and expected the couple to come over for Christmas only to be heading to a crime scene.
“Kevin died with a gunshot to his forehead and his hands tucked in his pockets,” Ward shared. “He was ultimately going to shoot Kevin’s fiancée and Kevin sacrificed himself, he was the hero that night. He would rather die than have her and that baby taken.”
Ward denied the cheating and described her on-and-off again relationship with Luster as physically and mentally abusive. She also claimed Luster was living with another woman.
“I honestly believe Kevin didn’t think his father would ever do something like that to him… I always thought it was going to be me, not my son,” she added.
She also told 5 On Your Side Kevin always wanted a relationship with his father.
“He tried to do things to get his dad to love him more, get his dad approval on everything. Kevin felt like it was never good enough and that’s all he ever wanted, for his dad to love him,” she said.
The future without Kevin is hard to picture for Ward – yet it’s clear her love for her son motivates her to get justice.
“My son cannot breathe, my son cannot walk, my son cannot see, my son is not here no more. Why should (Harold) get the pleasure of sitting, even though it’s a jail cell, he’s still alive, and I want him to suffer every day at that memory,” Ward shared. “As far as justice, he deserves life.”
On Saturday, family and friends are gathering at Cliff Cave Park for a candlelight vigil.
There is a GoFundMe set up for the family. If you’d like to donate, click here.
On Thursday, Luster pleaded not guilty. Luster is back in court for his bond review hearing on Jan. 3. Ward expects to be there.
