4 dead in murder-suicide in north Missouri

It happened in Mercer County, near the Iowa border. The sheriff says it appears the shooter was a man who was going through a divorce. The victims were his wife and a couple that knew them.

Could a Texas death row inmate be responsible for unsolved Missouri murders?

Numerous theories surround the 25-year-old unsolved murders of Ena Cordt and her son Rory of Forsyth, Mo.

One those theories includes that Tommy Lynn Sells, a man on death row in Texas, committed the murders as a plot to silence someone who posed a threat.

The Missouri Highway Patrol, however, does not believe his confession is true. But a Texas Ranger does.

Hat tip to Kathee

| Bob Cronkleton

Reward increased in Raytown homicide

This just in from Crime Stoppers:

Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying those responsible for the homicide of Wesley B. Binder. Mr. Binder was found near his home at 60^th Terr. and Hunter in Raytown on December 9, 2009, and the case remains unsolved. Wes was a son, brother, father, uncle and friend and was the third son lost by the Binder family. 

Following recent fundraising breakfasts held at the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and a generous personal donation, an additional $1,635 has been added to the existing reward fund bringing the total possible reward up to $6,135 for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Kansas City TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

| Sara Shepherd

Homicide victim had worked for homeless ministry

Andre Bess was fatally shot Tuesday night at a Raytown home, and yesterday, police arrested one person in connection with his case. Bess, 40, lived in Kansas City and had worked for Hope Faith Ministries, which helps homeless people, KSHB reports. He was a former client who'd joined the ministry staff and, just recently, left for a new job. They've planned a memorial for him at 10 a.m. Friday. Jackson County has not filed charges yet -- hopefully, the probable cause will eventually spell out what happened. (Or what police think happened.) His former coworkers don't think he had any enemies. Bess' death is Raytown's fifth homicide so far in 2010.

1 dead, 1 injured in Raytown shootings

Raytown cops are investigating a homicide and a shooting, which they believe are related, Bob Cronkleton reports.

The murder of James McNeely

Eight people are charged in the kidnapping and murder of James McNeely, an Ohio drifter who was found dead in a tractor-trailer near Vandalia a few days before Christmas 2009. Last week, a trucker, his wife and a 19-year-old son pleaded not guilty to killing McNeely, who was allegedly beaten, strangled and suffocated in their basement. When police were tipped off about McNeely's death, they went to the suspects' home, where a 20-hour standoff ensued.

I've been reading several articles about the slaying, and the narrative is a little twisty. Nobody in authority has spelled out why McNeely was killed. The Hannibal paper quotes the AP quoting relatives, who speculated the motive might have been drug-related.

I liked this bit from the Courier-Post's report:

Earlier, before the hearing began, Chester Harvey was led into the courtroom and seated in a chair near the jury box away from other prisoners.

“Is this the one with the current in it?” he jokingly asked deputies.

Still no answers in Mo. torso case

It's been six years since a woman's headless torso was found at a rest stop near Wright City, Mo. The victim's name has never been discovered, much less why she was killed. The AP has a short piece marking the anniversary. CSKC had a post about the case here. And this forum has more details.

Charges filed in Raytown woman's slaying

Jackson County prosecutors have filed charges in the slaying of Latoya Hopkins, who was found dead in her Raytown home back on June 15. Tawanda Kunonga, a 26-year-old from Kansas City, is facing one count each of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Police say that Kunonga's fingerprints, apparently in blood, were found on Hopkins' vehicle.

Independence police calling teen's death a homicide

This doesn't seem surprising, but police weren't saying anything about how 18-year-old Alfonzo P. Blair died until today.

His body was found lying in the street Saturday afternoon near Independence and South Oxford avenues, covered in blood.

| Sara Shepherd

Mo. man accused of killing fiancee two days before wedding

A Hannibal man is accused of killing his fiancee two days before they were supposed to get married, the Courier-Post reports. Prosecutors say C. Duane Pettey had struck up a sexual relationship with an old high-school friend, whom he'd found through Facebook. That woman testified during a preliminary hearing on Monday. Pettey's lawyer says there's not enough evidence that Pettey committed the killing.

Guilty verdict in Mo. murder-for hire

In St. Louis, two men have been found guilty of a murder-for-hire from 1992, the Post-Dispatch reports. That's the year that Danny Coleman was beaten to death and set on fire so his wife, Karen Coleman, could benefit from his life-insurance policy. The bitter irony: Karen, who set the plan in motion, is probably going to get 20 years because she testified. The two killers, James K. Kornhardt and Steven A. Mueller, face a good shot at life without parole.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Pat!

Independence man arrested in dad's death

Zachary Bowers, an Independence man suspected of killing his father Monday, is in police custody, Meredith Rodriguez reports. David Bowers, 54, of Rogers, Ark., was found dead in a home in the 1900 block of Quail Creek Drive about 10:30 that night. The younger Bowers is 22. More here from KSHB.

UPDATE: The Jackson County prosecutor's office has charged Bowers with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. According to court documents, another one of the victim's sons called 911 to report the shooting and told police that Zachary Bowers had been drinking.

He also gave Zachary's cellphone number to police. When the department called the phone, a man identifying himself as Zack answered and said that his dad had thrown the gun in his hand and told him to shoot. (Whether that was definitely Zachary Bowers on the phone isn't spelled out in the court documents.)

Son sought in father's murder

Independence police are trying to find 22-year-old Zachary Bowers of Independence, whose father was fatally shot there on Monday night. David A. Bowers, 54, is from Rogers, Ark. The shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Quail Creek Drive. An arrest warrant has been issued for the younger Bowers.

Zachary Bowers is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS or the Independence Police Department’s Detective Unit at (816) 325-7330.

Mo. teen pleads guilty in foster mom's murder

An 18-year-old has pleaded guilty to killing his cousin, who was serving as his foster mom, two years ago in Patton, Mo., the Southeast Missourian reports. John W. Wilfong could be sentenced to nearly 60 years in prison.

Have you seen this man?

From police: The Metro Squad is wishing to speak with a subject of interest regarding the recent homicide in Riverside, Missouri. Lashawn D. Jackson, a 29 year old black male. Jackson is known to frequent the area of Northeast Kansas City, Missouri. If anyone knows any information about Jackson’s whereabouts they are encouraged to contact the Metro Squad at 816-372-9140, or call the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.

Who killed Ronald Burns?

The Metro Squad has released the name of a man found killed in Riverside: Ronald Burns, 52. Police found his body inside his apartment after concerned coworkers called. Detectives are trying to find Burns' truck, which was missing from his apartment complex. It's a red 1994 Chevy truck with an extended cab and Missouri plates reading 9SA-333.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Metro Squad at 816-372-9140, or call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Mo. convict gets new trial

Zackary Stewart, a Hurley, Mo., man serving a life sentence for murder, will get a new trial after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that new evidence suggests someone else did it. Stewart was found guilty of killing David Dulin in 2006, when Stewart was still in high school. New DNA evidence found near the body is from a relative of Stewart's, the AP reports.

Was it self-defense? Or revenge?

In St. Louis, 61-year-old Johnnie Pulley is on trial for fatally shooting a 16-year-old who had beaten him up on a city bus.

That beating had happened in April 2009. A few months later, Pulley saw the same boy on the bus and called police. When officers didn't arrive immediately, Pulley started following the teen, which led to the shooting. Pulley's attorneys say the teen had turned and was going to hit him -- making this self-defense. But a series of bystanders say they didn't see the teen attack the man at all.

New clue in Riverside homicide?

Police found the body about 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Chateau D'Mons apartment complex, Sara Shepherd reports. The victim, a man believed to be in his 50s, hadn't showed up for work in days, and his worried coworkers called police. No word yet on the cause. The Metro Squad is probably to going to help out. (The squad is getting a real workout this spring -- this is the third case in the last several weeks where they've been called.)

UPDATE: Police are looking for the dead man's car, which was missing from his apartment complex. It's a red 1994 Chevy pickup with Missouri plates reading 9SA333.

How a local murder became an Internet meme

The Pitch's Plog has a post about the murder of John and Mildred Caylor, an evangelist couple from Raytown, and how it's been picked up (and slightly distorted) via the Internet.

Taxpayers won't fund teen murder suspect's education, judge rules

Alyssa Bustamante, a Cole County teen accused of murdering a 9-year-old neighbor, had asked the court if she could enroll in Mizzou's distance learning program, so she could continue her high-school education at taxpayer expense. The judge has turned down the motion and didn't clarify if Bustamante could take classes some other way, if she bore the cost herself.

Bustamante faces charges that she killed Elizabeth Olten last October.

Triple murder case moves to Clay Co.

Robert B. Blurton, a man accused of killing three relatives near Cole Camp, will be tried in Clay County. Teenager Taron Luetjen and her grandparent, Donald and Sharon, were found dead in their home back in June 2009. Blurton, who lives in Garnett, Kan., was allegedly trying to rob them, authorities have said. Kathee Baird has more about the case at her crime blog.

Charges filed in bonfire stabbing

From Glenn Rice: Jackson County authorities today charged a 19-year-old man in the stabbing death of another youth during a bonfire party last weekend in rural Grain Valley. Ryan Tyler Cox of Kansas City faces separate counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the slaying of 19-year-old Chason A. Pennington of Lee’s Summit. Cox was being held on $150,000 bond.

'You stabbed me in the heart'

Fox 4 interviews the family of Chason Pennington, a 19-year-old from Lee's Summit who was fatally stabbed over the weekend. Pennington had reportedly been wrestling with a friend at a bonfire when he was attacked. At this point, no charges have been filed in the case.

"When Chason backed off he looked at that boy and said, 'You stabbed me in the heart, you pansy.' said Todd. "He said, 'You just killed me, you pansy,' then he fell. With his dying breath the last words he said was to tell his sister that he loved her. So we're very fortunate."

19-year-old killed at Grain Valley bonfire

Chason A. Pennington, a 19-year-old from Lee's Summit, was fatally stabbed about 2 a.m. Saturday in the 29800 block of East AA Highway in Grain Valley. It happened at a party of some sort involving a bonfire. Authorities have arrested a suspect. KSHB interviewed the property owner, who said the slaying reportedly involved a wrestling match that got out of hand.