The summer evening of July 7, 2026, ended in tragedy for the Columbus community when 16-year-old Kevin Laurin was found dead in a wooded area of a local park. A couple walking nearby discovered his body and contacted police; the death was investigated as a homicide. Kevin’s family and classmates described him as kind and funny, and his death reverberated through his high school and neighborhood.

Columbus Police investigators reviewed surveillance footage, interviewed numerous witnesses, and followed an anonymous tip that led them to another 16-year-old classmate, Michael Carter. Police executed a search warrant at Carter’s home and reportedly recovered clothing with traces of Kevin’s blood and a knife alleged to be the murder weapon. Text messages on Kevin’s phone indicated the two had planned to meet in the park that evening, and detectives say a history of animosity between the teens had developed in the weeks before the killing.

Kevin’s death has left his family and community searching for answers and coping with a profound loss. If anyone has information about Kevin, his last movements that night, or the events leading up to July 7, please come forward.