Community pushes for 'Steven's Law' after local boy murdered

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCCU) — After the recent death of a 14-year-old boy in Champaign, community members are pushing for legislation to prevent incidents like this from happening again.

Friends and family members are still mourning the loss of Steven Butler III.

Butler went missing in Champaign on July 29 and was found dead the next morning in a field in Urbana Township.

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The hope is that his legacy could help lead toward legislation to prevent things like this from happening again.

"Hopefully this brings change, another child don't got to die and if that be my son's legacy then he didn't die in vain," said his father Steven Butler.

One agency is trying to carry the torch of his legacy through something called Steven's Law.

"If they are listed as endangered and treated as endangered, then all of us are aware and you can help bring that to the front, to the public and we can keep doing what we do," said Gia Wright with the Missing Persons Awareness Network.

The law would require any child under the age of 18 who is reported missing to be considered an endangered juvenile.

"Regardless of why they are missing, regardless of the circumstances, whether they are foster children thought of as a runaway, you have no idea what these kids go through," Wright said.

The law is being pushed by the organization, while family members think it could help make an impact on future missing children.

They say the community lost one of the best kids around.

"Kids love, everyone loved him so much because when he walked into a room he lit it up with that sweet smile," said April Vish, Butler's aunt.

Vish said that no one loves Steven more than his dad.

"His dad meant everything to him, his dad was his hero, " Vish said. "My brother is one of the most incredible single fathers you will ever meet."

"Steven loved hard, he was genuine and real, every single ounce of that child was genuine and real," said the boy's father.

The Missing Persons Awareness Network has already put together a petition and is gathering signatures to try and make the law possible.