‘Somebody knows something’: Questions linger one year after traffic death near Liberty
A heart-wrenching thought has set in for the Scheidecker family over the last year since the alleged hit-and-run death of their their son and brother in a rural area of Kansas City’s Northland. The family has grappled with the possibility they may never know who is responsible for John Paul Scheidecker’s death.
The beloved 30-year-old Liberty man was found dead along a rural Clay County road outside his vehicle early one morning in July 2023. Investigators said evidence recovered from the scene was minimal, but that Scheidecker’s death appeared to be the result of a hit-and-run crash. He had gotten out of his vehicle for some reason, but the remaining details surrounding his death remain a mystery.
The family has flipped through an array of questions. Why did he stop? Was he checking on an animal that had been hit? Did he see something out of the ordinary? What happened?
“If no one steps up and does the right thing, we may never know,” said John Paul’s brother Luke Scheidecker at a news conference on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of his brother’s death. “As hard as that is, it’s part of life and you’ve got to keep moving forward, because that’s what he would want.”
One year after John Paul Scheidecker’s death, family and investigators are putting out a plea for information in the case, asking even for small details that could eventually lead to closure.
“We’re Christian people, we forgive, we understand accidents happen,” Luke Scheidecker said. “From our perspective, we would just want clarity about what happened that night. Someone needs to step up and do the right thing. Somebody knows something.”
The investigation
Scheidecker was found dead around 4 a.m. on July 30, 2023, on Northeast 120th Street between Missouri Route A highway and Fishing River Road, northeast of Liberty.
The scene was “very rural” and dark, and little evidence was recovered, said Sgt. Chris Johnson with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Johnson said the investigation has remained a high priority and said the department has completed nearly 100 supplemental reports in the case. Even on Monday, detectives worked a lead in the case and have looked into one that is out of state, he said.
No evidence has suggested that Scheidecker’s death was intentional, and Johnson said the matter could be a “tragic accident.”
“It may be a very young driver, it may be an older driver that just doesn’t know what happened, they don’t know how to deal with it,” Johnson said. “Call me. Let’s sit down, get in my interview room, let’s talk. As scared as you may be, we still need to sit down and talk about it. It’ll give that person closure, it’ll give the Scheideckers closure and most importantly, it’ll give justice for John Paul.”
‘I want to return what he would do for us’
Family members said Scheidecker had a vibrant personality and was loved by many in the community.
Ever the entrepreneur, he owned a lawn mowing business at age 14 and amassed a list of about 50 accounts. After graduating from the University of Missouri, he worked in the medical industry, then started his own e-commerce business.
He owned a sprawling farm near Liberty with ponds and trails for dirt bikes and four-wheeling. His home was a space for friends.
After Scheidecker’s death, family learned the extent of his quiet generosity, of how he’d help others who were down on their luck financially and found ways to show kindness.
“He would never tell us,” said his mother, Elaine Scheidecker. “After he passed away, I don’t know how many people said that they owed us money because John Paul would give them money. Nobody would know.”
Elaine Scheidecker said Tuesday she knows her son would have gone to extreme lengths to find justice for his family if their roles were reversed.
“I want to return what he would do for us,” she said.
Information about the case can be submitted to investigators directly by calling 816-407-3723 or through an anonymous call to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. A reward is available for information submitted in the case.
“The most minimal information that they think may not be anything, that’s information we want,” Johnson said. “We will follow up on every lead that we get.”
