Sugar Creek man charged in murder of Independence man
A 51-year-old Sugar Creek man is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting Thursday of an Independence man in a dispute over a vehicle.
Patrick L. Barkwell is also charged with armed criminal action in the death of Christopher King, 33. Bond was set at $150,000 cash.
According to court records, Barkwell told police he went to a residence in the 1500 block of South Pearl Street in Independence about 10:45 p.m. to retrieve a neighbor’s vehicle that was parked in the driveway there. Barkwell allegedly shot King once in the chest with a .22 caliber Ruger and then drove north on Missouri 291 and threw the weapon into the Missouri River.
When police questioned Barkwell he allegedly said “It’s the biggest mistake I ever made” and “I didn’t mean to kill him.”
Matt Campbell: 816-234-4902, @MattCampbellKC
This story was originally published August 20, 2017 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Sugar Creek man charged in murder of Independence man."