Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter charge in 2023 stabbing death of KCK teacher
A teenager pleaded guilty in Jackson County Juvenile Court to voluntary manslaughter in the April 2023 killing of a Kansas City, Kansas teacher.
The teen, whose identity is protected in the justice system, was accused of killing 44-year-old Wyandotte High School teacher Jamie Craig at her apartment on April 29, 2023.
The juvenile was initially charged on May 12, 2023, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action by the Office of the Juvenile Officer, which handles prosecution in criminal cases involving minors. The juvenile was 14 at the time of the murder charge.
A judge ruled in December 2023 that the juvenile would receive services in the juvenile justice system rather than be certified as an adult.
The juvenile pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, a class B felony, and armed criminal action on Feb. 22.
The alleged motive and circumstances surrounding Craig’s death remain mostly unknown.
According to court documents filed in support of a search warrant, police officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of East Missouri Avenue for a welfare check.
Officers were met at the front door by a 3-year-old who told them his mother had a “boo boo.” They found Craig dead inside the apartment with apparent stab wounds, according to police.
A neighbor told police that they saw someone leave the apartment and carry something out to the trash. Police said they found a gray backpack and a bloody white towel in the apartment’s dumpster.
Following his guilty plea, the juvenile was committed to the Division of Youth Services for residential placement until the age of 19.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
