Is there a 3rd victim in Kansas City rape, murder case involving missing Black women?
A notorious case involving two missing Black women has resulted in multiple charges, including rape, kidnapping and murder, against an Excelsior Springs man, but evidence from the crime scene and victim statements point to the possibility of a third victim.
While authorities claim their murder investigation is continuing, it’s unclear how close they are to identifying that potential third victim, or whether they’ll be bringing any more charges in the case.
When a woman said she escaped a torture chamber in his basement two years ago, she told police that her accused kidnapper Timothy Haslett Jr., 42, told her there were two other women who did not survive his captivity. The woman, identified as T.J. in court documents, said Haslett told her he used a gas mask to kill one of the women, and electrocuted the other.
Police later found a black gas mask in Haslett’s home.
Police also found lewd pictures of women they suspect Haslett had taken, and the elaborate torture dungeon T.J. described. The room police say Haslett used to torture his victims suggests a pattern of victimization, according to Misty Campbell, an assistant teaching professor and victimology expert at the University of Missouri Kansas City.
Despite evidence gathered at the home, and compelling victim testimony, it took authorities a year to charge Haslett with murdering Jaynie Crosdale, 32, whose body was found in a barrel on the Missouri River.
Black leaders say police and prosecutors lacked urgency in the investigation, leading to a delay in charges.
And now, two years after Haslett was first arrested, a third victim could still be unidentified, according to criminologists and police.
“We don’t know for sure if there are additional victims, but we do know that the surviving victim in this case identified that there were two that she was made aware of,” Campbell said. “We do have an indication that there would be at least three (victims), so I would imagine that the police are continuing that search.”
Victimologist observes start of pattern
Campbell’s experience and research focuses on victimization, trauma and community response. Among other things that stand out in the Haslett murder case is the torture chamber described by Haslett’s alleged victim, she said.
“When I look at the room setup, and the ways in which it seems to be very premeditated... that really ties into the research that we have on those who engage in repeat victimization,” Campbell said.
“If you look at the victim they identified who was murdered and the victim who was able to escape, we can start to see a victimization pattern emerge,” Campbell said. “Of course, just two is not enough to make a full pattern, but we do see some similarities: persons who are transient, difficult to track and difficult to verify that are missing.”
Investigators suspect Haslett sought vulnerable victims, preying on Black sex workers specifically.
T.J. told police she was walking on Prospect Avenue in Kansas City when Haslett drove up beside her and offered her $350 to go to his house. En route, she said, Haslett pulled a gun on her. She was forced to perform oral sex and take drugs that made her fall asleep, she told investigators.
As part of the investigation, the Kansas City Police Department’s Vice Squad reviewed records of arrests for commercial sex workers to help identify Crosdale.
“We know that repeat offenders of sexual violence and torture are typically looking for close-proximity victims or victims they can have easy access to,” Campbell said. “Those repeat offenders, we definitely see a higher rate of forced drug use.”
At this point in the investigation, Cambell said she expects police would be doing another deep dive of evidence and looking for others who might fit into the victim typology. Investigators would, ideally, have conversations with community leaders doing outreach for people who have gone missing, but are not confirmed missing by authorities, she said.
‘Our work continues’
Haslett pleaded not guilty July 12 to first-degree murder in the death of Crosdale, 36, who vanished months before her body was found stuffed in a blue barrel on the Missouri River in June 2023.
On Haslett’s Excelsior Springs property, police found blue barrels similar to the one Crosdale’s body was found in, according to court documents.
Haslett was first arrested on Oct. 7, 2022, outside his home after the victim identifed as T.J. in court documents ran to a neighbor’s house wearing a collar locked around her neck. T.J. told police she had been held as a “sex slave.”
A probable cause affidavit filed in court outlines the graphic details of Haslett’s alleged crimes.
Haslett allegedly dressed her in lingerie and only offered her food after raping her, T.J. told police. She said she was chained up in a “dungeon,” repeatedly drugged and forced to use a bucket as a restroom.
T.J. allegedly slipped her arms out of the restraints and escaped when she heard Haslett leaving with his son, a juvenile who also lived at the residence, according to court documents.
Thompson said T.J. lived through physical, psychological and sexual assault that amounted to “torture.”
In addition to first-degree murder, Haslett is charged with four counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault, kidnapping, and endangering the welfare of a child.
“The physical, psychological, and sexual torture described by the defendant’s surviving victim is brutal and barbaric,” said Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson.
As she was held captive, T.J. said Haslett told her about two other women he had kept there, saying they hadn’t made it out alive. She told investigators Haslett said he suffocated one woman with a gas mask and killed another with an electrocution device inserted in her vagina.
“Our living victim reported (Haslett) made some statements to her about there being a couple previous girls,” said Greg Dull, Excelsior Springs police chief. “We continued to investigate and tried to identify- at this point, we’ve charged (Haslett) with everything that we can.”
Police were not investigating the disappearances of Haslett’s two alleged victims before T.J. escaped because neither alleged victim was reported missing, police said. Crosdale was initially an unidentified woman found in photographs when police searched Haslett’s residence.
Investigators have not confirmed whether the possibility of a third victim is a continued focus of their investigation. Dull said police are pouring over all of the digital evidence again to see if they missed anything.
“There’s just so much of it and it doesn’t matter how careful you are when you go through it, right, the human factor comes into play,” Dull said. “So (we’re) going back through everything again to see if we maybe missed something that could lead us to anything else he might have done.”
There are no charges thus far related to a possible third victim in the case.
When Haslett was charged with murder last month, Thompson said the investigation into Haslett remained ongoing.
“Our work continues,” Thompson said. “I would urge anyone who knows anything about this case to contact the Excelsior Springs Police Department.”
Thompson told The Star last week he is not able to discuss any active cases, but that prosecutors are focused on achieving justice inside the courtroom.
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. He said investigators are working to make sure the surviving victim receives support from the criminal justice system.
“We are continuing to cooperate and work with the prosecutor’s office to make sure we can have (the best) case as possible so we can get a conviction,” Dull said.
‘Need for equal protection, equal focus’
Black leaders in Kansas City have been critical of the way police handled the investigation since it began in 2022. Criticism intensified when a public awareness campaign led by Excelsior Springs police sought to locate Crosdale, including a billboard ad calling her a “potential witness” in the case.
A news release included few details on why investigators sought her, and it looked similar to news releases issued for criminal suspects.
A member of Crosdale’s family told police in January 2023 that she had not seen or heard from Crosdale since September 2022. The family member came forward after seeing Crosdale on the news as a potential witness to Haslett’s alleged crimes. Police said the billboard ad and public awareness campaign was an effort to find the last person to see her alive.
When the investigation into Haslett captured national attention, 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.
Campbell said on a national scale, 40% of missing people are Black, while Black people make up 15% of the overall population. The statistic, she said, represents a real disparity and impact.
Haslett was arrested weeks after Kansas City police publicly dismissed a report circulating in the community that a serial killer was targeting Black women, saying they had no reports of missing Black women that matched the case.
“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,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.
Campbell said at this point in the investigation, police would ideally be canvassing and talking to community leaders to help identify other potentially missing people.
“There’s a lot of conversation around this case and what police maybe did or did not do in the community’s eyes,” Campbell said. “But I think what we’re seeing in the court documents, and what police are sharing with us, is that they’re continuing that review of missing persons and also looking at individuals who fit into this case’s typology.”
Investigators have been processing more than 100,000 video and photo files as evidence.
Court documents said investigators obtained a search warrant for Haslett’s cellphone, which contained pictures of his alleged victims, media that appeared to be screenshots of pornographic websites, and saved images of Missouri River navigation maps.
Dull said he hears and understands the community’s ongoing concerns for justice. He also said part of the challenge is that some of the women who advocacy groups claimed were unaccounted for were not reported missing to police.
“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.”
Those missing persons who are not officially reported missing are part of a vulnerable population that repeat offenders seek, Campbell said.
Since “unofficial” missing persons appear to be the pattern of Haslett’s alleged victim pool, an unidentified third victim is possible, Campbell said, based on existing evidence in the case.
Campbell said it can be hard for family and friends to make missing persons reports for people who are transient, or have limited contact. That’s one reason why it’s important for police to have strong relationships with community sources — so people can feel comfortable making a report, she said.
“You’ll only increase the confidence and comfort level if you have trust, transparency and collaboration,” Campbell said.
As the case continues, Dull said his heart goes out to the victim’s families and that he is clinging onto hope for a conviction.
Haslett is due to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Division 4 courtroom of Clay County Circuit Court.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed.
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
