Raytown man convicted of fatally shooting roommate in 2021: Court documents
A Raytown man was convicted Thursday in Jackson County of fatally shooting his roommate during an argument in 2021.
Jurors found Robert E. Matlock Jr., 47, guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 37-year-old Ramiro Jaramillo.
The shooting took place on June 16, 2021, in the home Matlock and Jaramillo shared in the 7700 block of Raytown Road. Police responded to the shooting around 3 p.m., and Jaramillo was transported to a hospital, where he died later that day.
According to court documents, officers think the shooting started when Matlock and Jaramillo argued about Jaramillo’s decision to lock the garage space where Jaramillo kept his medical marijuana. As the two argued, Jaramillo entered Matlock’s room and attempted to knock Matlock’s cell phone out of his hand as Matlock recorded the fight, court records read.
Matlock allegedly then shot Jaramillo several times along his right side and back.
Matlock told responding officers that he and Jaramillo argued frequently about shared household topics, such as dividing bills and cleaning the house, according to the Raytown Police Department. During his arrest, Matlock told police the shooting was carried out in self-defense, and that he believed Jaramillo was armed even though he did not see a weapon.
Ramiro Jaramillo, whom friends knew as “Rome,” loved dogs and cars, and was training to work in life insurance when he died, according to an obituary shared online. Loved ones remember Jaramillo as a social, hard-working man with a big heart.
“He made friends wherever he went and wouldn’t hesitate to help when in need,” Jaramillo’s obituary reads. “ … He was a strong person who stood by his beliefs, and made strong impacts on those he loved.”
Matlock will next appear in court for a sentencing hearing March 20. Jurors recommended an 18-year sentence for the murder charge and a 7-year sentence for the weapon use charge, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
