A mother grieving the loss of her son, who was allegedly shot dead by his own father, has told of his terrifying last words before gunshots rang out.
Kevin Ward, a 26-year-old Missouri man, was reportedly killed on Christmas Eve by his father, 61-year-old Harold Luster, after a family dispute turned into violence.
Kevin, from High Ridge near St. Louis, was visiting his father when things suddenly turned violent.
Luster, who is described by his ex-wife, Katherine, as mentally and physically abusive during their relationship, had argued with another family member because he was upset about his ex which he thought was “cheating.”
Luster believed that Kevin’s pregnant fiancée, Kaitlyn, knew something and was withholding information.
But Kevin tried to de-escalate the situation and calm his father down when he suddenly grabbed a gun and tried to destroy his truck before turning his rage on his own son.
His mother, Katherine, heard the commotion on the phone and had received a call from Lustre.
She could clearly hear her son’s emotional last words before he was shot: “Daddy, why are you doing this? I don’t deserve this,” Kevin pleaded.
Kevin Ward, a 26-year-old Missouri man, was allegedly killed by his father while protecting his pregnant fiancée Kaitlyn, pictured
Kevin’s mother, Katherine, is left distraught after her son was shot and killed
Kevin Ward’s father, 61-year-old Harold Luster, is said to have shot his son dead on Christmas Eve after a family dispute turned into violence
Moments later, Kevin was dead after being shot in the forehead with his hands in his pockets.
“Kevin sacrificed himself; he was the hero that night,” Katherine countered KSDKin which she talks about how her son died protecting Kaitlyn and their unborn baby from danger.
“Kevin died protecting the love of his life and their unborn child,” Katherine said through tearsexpressing her disbelief over her son’s untimely death. “He’d rather die than let her and that baby be taken.”
‘My son was the best. He was a great kid who didn’t deserve that night and I wish a thousand times he never went there. But me and him never thought this would ever happen.
“It’s almost like I’m in a nightmare and I can’t get out,” she said. “I always thought it would be me, not my son.”
Now she wants justice for Kevin: “My son can’t breathe, my son can’t walk, my son can’t see. Why should (Luster) get the pleasure of being in a prison cell? I want him to suffer every day with that memory.”
Luster has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
He remains in custody without bond and a court date is set for January 3.
Kevin, from High Ridge near St. Louis, was visiting his father when things suddenly turned violent
Mother, Katherine, heard the commotion on the phone called by Luster
A balloon was released as family members and friends paid tribute to Kevin
It is believed that Kevin was shot because his father believed that his pregnant fiancée, Kaitlyn, knew something and was withholding information
The eldest of four brothers, Kevin worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation and was remembered by loved ones as a man with “big dreams ahead.”
A vigil held in his honor attracted dozens of mourners, including his former deputy director, who described him as “a man who was really building a life for himself.”
A GoFundMe was founded to provide support to the family.
During the balloon release in honor of her son, Kevin’s mother shared a simple message about her son: “Kevin was a special person. He didn’t deserve this. He was my hero.’