Kendrick Hill

Kendrick Hill, 1974-2005

By Maria Montoya
Staff writer

There wasn't much about New Orleans that Kendrick Hill didn't love. When he wasn't working as a private security officer, Hill enjoyed riding on the lakefront with his family, washing his car in the park on Saturdays and watching the Saints play on Sundays.

"There was nothing he enjoyed more than being with the people he loved," said Latoya Smith, mother of Kendrick's son, 2-year-old Kendrick Hill Jr. While dating, the couple lived with Hill's mother, Carrie Hill, on Flood Street. The family often would spend their weekend at the park playing with their son.

Hill's passion for his family was matched by his love for cars and music. Most weekends he'd spend time detailing his car and listening to local rap music.

"He loved him some cars," his mother said. "Never was there anywhere he wouldn't take me to if I needed something. He was a respectful young man."

A native New Orleanian and veteran of many hurricane seasons, Hill didn't express much concern about the approach of Hurricane Katrina. Though his family evacuated to higher ground, Hill remained at home and prepared to report to work on Sunday.

In the days following the storm, Carrie grew increasingly concerned about her son. She and a friend were evacuated from an Uptown home to the airport; eventually they were flown to a San Antonio shelter, while Smith, who was also in the Uptown area, was flown to Michigan. By the end of the week, when neither woman had heard from Kendrick, they reported him missing to the Red Cross.

For weeks, Carrie said she and family members phoned various agencies to see if Kendrick had been located or registered for assistance. Although they were told the area had been searched for victims and survivors, after months without a word, Herman Robertson, Kendrick's uncle, decided to check the neighborhood himself. Earlier this year, he drove with his wife, daughter and grandson from Houston to the Hills' old home on Flood Street, where he found Hill's decomposed body on the floor by his bed.

"Even if my nephew had known how to swim, there's just no way he could have escaped the water that came through that house," Robertson said.

The family is still waiting to bury Kendrick, but they're relieved to now know where he was when he died, Carrie said.

"We'll make it. Through the power of God, we'll survive," Roberston said. "But never will I forget how this beautiful young man died. No one should have to be found like that."

Carrie, now living in San Antonio, said she is happy to have some closure in regards to her son's death. She said she's confident her son lived a happy life.

"We were always together, Kendrick and me," Carrie said. "One day, we're going to be laughing and joking again, up there in heaven, I know it."

Published in The Times-Picayune