Black leaders in KC say police, prosecutors lacked urgency in Haslett investigation
Black leaders in Kansas City said police and prosecutors failed to act with urgency in a high-profile case involving missing Black women, following the announcement of murder charges filed Tuesday.
Timothy Haslett Jr., 42, of Excelsior Springs, is accused of killing Jaynie Crosdale, 36, whose body was found by kayakers roughly 13 months ago in the Missouri River. Haslett was first arrested in October 2022, when another woman said she escaped his basement where she was held as a “sex slave,” according to court documents.
The charges against Haslett were brought before a grand jury this week, which indicted him on 10 felonies.
He is charged with first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault, kidnapping, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Black leaders have spoken out on their disapproval of the way police handled the investigation since the start of the case in 2022. That criticism intensified when police identified Crosdale as a possible witness to Haslett’s alleged crimes. The news release from the Excelsior Springs Police Department included Crosdale’s name, photo and last-known Kansas City address.
But the release included few details on why investigators sought her, and it looked similar to news releases issued for criminal suspects.
The surviving victim, identified as T.J. in court records, told investigators Haslett kept two other women captive in his basement who “did not make it,” according to court documents.
Investigators suspect Haslett, who is white, sought vulnerable victims, preying on Black commercial sex workers specifically.
Haslett was charged with murder this week, nearly a year after police first suspected his involvement in Crosdale’s death. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in a hearing Friday morning.
“It took a long time to get to this point,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, speaking about the murder charge.
“This case underscores the need for equal protection, equal focus, heightened protection and support for our most vulnerable populations — in this particular case — Black women,” Grant said.
Grant said she was outraged at how law enforcement responded to tips they received last year on missing Black women, another major point of concern for Black community members on the police handling of the case. Haslett was arrested weeks after policepublicly dismissed a report in the community that a serial killer was targeting Black women.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said the surviving victim endured “torture” and that police and prosecutors still have work to do, alluding to the possibility of more victims. The case is ongoing, he said.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, or how much money you have in the bank, what your job is,” Thompson said. “You deserve equal protection.”
Thompson said law enforcement in Clay County is dedicated to protecting all residents. No matter the color of their skin, he said, people are entitled to equal protection under the law.
Grant said she hopes Thompson’s remarks are backed by action from law enforcement agencies across the metro.
“(Haslett allegedly) targeted Black women who are often disproportionately affected by violence, yet law enforcement seemed to discount that very important fact,” Grant said.
When the investigation into Haslett captured national attention last year, Kansas City advocacy groups held vigils for the surviving victim and worked to raise awareness.
Some said they believe police throughout the metro have been and continue to be dismissive of concerns raised by Black families and activists when it comes to people of color who go missing.
Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull on Friday said he has heard and understands the community’s ongoing concerns for justice.
But some of the women who advocacy groups claimed were unaccounted for were not reported missing to police, Dull said.
“It’s hard to investigate something when you don’t know who’s missing or you don’t have details of anything,” Dull said. “Our living victim was never reported missing by her family.”
Dull said the investigation into Crosdale’s death has been one of the largest and most devastating cases he has worked on in his more than 30 years in law enforcement. The news of Crosdale’s death, and the brutal details of Haslett’s alleged crimes, disturbed the Excelsior Springs community, he said.
“We have been working tirelessly on this case and we’re very glad to see that charges were filed, but that’s just the next step,” Dull said. “The next step is to get a conviction.”
Dull recounted sitting with Crosdale’s family and notifying them of her death. He said his heart goes out to the family and that he is hoping for a conviction.
“I know that everybody here wants to see justice for Jaynie Crosdale and our living victim,” Dull said. “We have continued to work with the prosecutor’s office to make sure she continues to receive support from the criminal justice system.”
Working to ensure equal protection
Activist claims in these cases reflect a historical pattern that is systemic and structural by nature, said the Rev. Vernon Howard Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City.
Howard is a human rights leader with a history of ensuring protections of human and civil rights for victims of violence. Equal protection under the law, he said, is both a legal mandate and moral mandate that systems must protect people of color in an equally effective manner.
“When one considers the claims and voices of these Black leaders that have been so vocal... in this instance, even... the slower pace and lack of immediacy and urgency with respect to Black-skinned victims, and particularly Black-skinned female victims, has historically been par for the course,” Howard said.
Howard and Grant said avoidance of the issue has led to instances of inefficient and ineffective protection from violence by law enforcement.
“When we raise issues of race, there’s far too much denial and not enough acceptance of the reality that’s needed to bring about the change that’s necessary,” Grant said.
Haslett is due to appear in court 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Division 4 courtroom of Clay County Circuit Court.
Grant said she hopes this case, and continued activism within the Black community, will cause law enforcement to improve how they respond when they get information about missing Black women in Kansas City.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
