Tulsans Unite, Raise Money To Find Teenager's Killer

With umbrellas in hand, garage-sale shoppers fought off a little morning rain in order to fight for an even greater cause.

Saturday, July 7th 2012, 4:18 pm

By: Tess Maune

Tulsans Unite, Raise Money To Find Teenager's Killer

A community is rallying together to be bring justice to a teenage murder victim.

Kayla Ferrante was killed in May, just one day after graduating high school.

Her family and friends hope a reward will help catch her killer.

With umbrellas in hand, shoppers fought off a little morning rain in order to fight for an even greater cause.

"We just need justice for Kayla," Tulsa resident Sandy Ferguson said.

It's been more than a month since Ferrante was killed.

Ferrante was riding in her boyfriend's car when someone fired shots from a high-powered rifle and one of the rounds hit her in the car.

She was only 17.

Ferrante's friends say she was a kind person with an infectious personality.

"She was smiling," friend Kristen Swain said. "She could make everybody laugh. Everybody around her was always happy because [she was contagious]. That's how she was. She was amazing."

Swain and Lauren Brown have been working for weeks to organize a garage sale in honor their friend.

Everything you see here was donated, much of it by complete strangers.

"We had a U-haul and four trucks full of stuff that we brought out here this morning, and this is all that's left," Swain said. "It's just amazing how much the community is helping us."

Every penny made will be donated to the Tulsa Crime Commission to help fund a reward in Ferrante's case.

"We need answers," Swain said. "It's hard not knowing anything."

Brown added, "Somebody has to know something, somebody. People talk. Someone knows something."

Ferrante's friends say money talks, too.

They hope that with the right reward, the killer will be caught and bring justice to a young girl who was simply taken too soon.

There have been several fundraisers held in Ferrante's honor and more to come.

Swain Brothers Racing will host a car and bike show in honor of Ferrante on July 28th from 4pm-8pm.

If Ferrante's killer is not found, the donations will be given to the Memorial High School special education program, a cause about which Kayla was passionate.

Donors can make checks payable to Tulsa Crime Commission. On the memo line, designate it to the "Kayla Ferrante reward." The mailing address is 2121 South Columbia, LL8 Tulsa, OK 74114.

If you know anything about Ferrante's murder, call the Tulsa Police Department's Crime Stoppers line at 918-596-COPS. Your identity will be protected.