Ali Kemp: When the Killer’s Face Ended Up on a Billboard
Leawood, Kansas, is a quiet and beautiful city in the United States. It was here that the Kemp family lived. Nineteen-year-old Alexandra “Ali” Kemp was the beloved daughter of her parents. Bright, energetic, and full of dreams, Ali hoped to dedicate her future to helping disadvantaged children and improving their lives.
Alongside her studies, Ali worked at a local swimming pool, handling maintenance duties together with her younger brother. The workplace was only a few minutes’ walk from their home. Tragically, on a cloudy day in June 2002, the promising young woman’s life came to a sudden and heartbreaking end.
A Brutal Murder
Like any other day, Ali arrived at work on June 18, 2002. Because of the unfavorable weather, only a few people visited the swimming pool, making it a relatively quiet shift.
At around 3:00 PM, Ali called her friend Laurel Vine and suggested that she come over so they could spend the remaining hours of her shift chatting together. She also tried calling another friend, Phil Howes, but he was unable to answer.
A short while later, Laurel arrived at the pool. The area was almost deserted. She only noticed a man leaving the premises. At that moment, she had no idea that she was looking directly at Ali’s future killer.
Unable to find Ali, Laurel assumed that her friend had left for some urgent reason. Without thinking much of it, she returned home.
Later that day, Ali’s younger brother arrived to begin his shift. He noticed his sister’s purse and phone still sitting on a table, but Ali was nowhere to be found. After informing their mother, their father Roger Kemp rushed to the swimming pool to search for his daughter.
Roger first checked the pool itself, fearing that she might have drowned in an accident. He then continued searching and eventually entered the pump room. There, beneath a blue tarpaulin, he discovered what no parent should ever have to see—the battered body of his daughter.
He immediately called emergency services, but sadly, Ali could not be saved.
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| Little Ali in her father’s arms; Image Source: oxygen.com |
The Investigation
According to Major Craig Hill, a crime of this nature was almost unimaginable in Leawood. Law enforcement officers launched an intensive investigation.
Evidence at the scene suggested that a violent struggle had taken place. Investigators concluded that Ali had fought desperately for her life and resisted her attacker with everything she had.
Detectives soon learned that shortly after the murder, a Ford pickup truck had left the parking area near the swimming pool. Laurel told investigators that while searching for Ali, she had seen a white male in his thirties driving away in a truck. She estimated his height to be between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet.
Based on her description, police created a composite sketch of the suspect.
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| Police collecting evidence from the crime scene; Image Source: oxygen.com |
The Search for the Killer
Ali’s family, friends, and neighbors distributed copies of the suspect sketch throughout the community. Roger also arranged for it to be shown on television.
Despite these efforts, the investigation gradually lost momentum due to a lack of solid leads.
Determined not to give up, Roger placed newspaper advertisements offering a reward for information related to Ali’s murder. Initially, he offered $1,000, but soon increased it to $25,000. The City Council of Leawood added another $25,000, bringing the total reward to $50,000.
At one point, investigators became interested in a man named James Straiter because he closely resembled the composite sketch. However, his employer confirmed that he had been at work during the murder, eliminating him as a suspect.
In February 2003, police again looked into Straiter after learning he had been accused of sexually assaulting several women in Kansas and Missouri. Although he was arrested, DNA testing cleared him of any involvement in Ali’s murder.
Catching a Killer Through a Billboard
One day, while driving, Roger Kemp noticed a billboard along the roadside. Suddenly, an idea came to him.
What if the suspect’s face was placed on a billboard?
Hundreds of people passed those signs every day. Surely, someone would recognize the man in the sketch.
Roger contacted several billboard companies to inquire about costs. Lamar Advertising stepped forward and generously offered one of its billboards free of charge.
The strategy worked almost immediately.
A caller contacted police and suggested that the man in the billboard sketch might be Teddy Hoover.
Investigators soon discovered that Hoover also worked in swimming pool maintenance. Even more importantly, he owned a truck that closely matched the vehicle Laurel had seen leaving the scene.
A review of case records revealed another shocking detail: Hoover had actually worked at the same swimming pool as Ali and had been on duty the day she was murdered.
Police had interviewed him during the early stages of the investigation, but because his behavior seemed normal, he was never considered a serious suspect.
When detectives requested a DNA sample, Hoover contacted his lawyer. Realizing he could no longer avoid providing DNA, he fled.
For nearly a year, authorities were unable to locate him.
Eventually, a tipster informed police that Hoover was living in Connecticut under the name Benjamin Appleby with his girlfriend. Armed with an arrest warrant, officers arrived at his door and took him into custody.
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| Suspect’s image on the billboard; Image Source: cbsnews.com |
The Confession
During questioning, Hoover admitted to killing Ali.
According to his statement, he was attracted to her. On that June afternoon, he made unwanted advances toward her, but Ali rejected him.
Refusing to accept rejection, Hoover followed her into the pump room and continued harassing her. As the situation escalated, he physically assaulted her.
When Ali attempted to leave, a violent struggle broke out. In a fit of rage, Hoover struck her with tremendous force. After rendering her unconscious, he covered her body with a tarpaulin and fled the scene.
It was at that exact moment that Laurel unknowingly saw him driving away.
Justice for Ali
Hoover was charged with murder and attempted rape. After hearing all the evidence, the jury found him guilty.
The judge handed down a severe sentence. Hoover would have to serve 50 years in prison before becoming eligible to apply for parole.
He later appealed the verdict, but the appeal was unsuccessful.
Ali Kemp Foundation
To preserve Ali’s memory, her family established the Ali Kemp Foundation.
One of the foundation’s key initiatives is teaching women self-defense skills and personal safety techniques. Roger Kemp has repeatedly stated that the organization’s mission is to prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating loss.
To date, the foundation has trained approximately 2,000 women.
The foundation provides training in self-defense techniques for women; Image Source: takedefense.org
As for the reward money Roger offered, it rightfully belonged to the individual whose tip led to Hoover’s arrest. However, the anonymous caller chose to remain unidentified and donated the entire reward to the foundation instead.
It was a final act of generosity that helped transform a tragedy into a mission dedicated to protecting others.
