55-year-old man charged with murder in stabbing near Central High School: Prosecutor
A Kansas City man has been charged with murder in a fatal stabbing near Central High School Monday night.
Leon J. Reese, 55, faces charges of second-degree murder and tampering with a witness, as well as two counts of armed criminal action. Reese is accused of fatally stabbing 52-year-old Eric Stennis after a physical altercation, according to police and court documents.
Officers and paramedics responded to a medical call around 11 p.m. in the 3000 block of Mersington Avenue, according to Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina. They found a man, later identified as Stennis, in the road with multiple injuries, according to Becchina. Paramedics pronounced Stennis dead at the scene.
A witness told investigating officers that she saw Reese, Stennis and a third person hanging out near 31st Street and Mersington Avenue when Reese and Stennis began arguing, according to court documents. The witness reported that Reese began to approach Stennis with a knife, court documents read, at which point Stennis allegedly threw a rock at Reese, who allegedly then stabbed Stennis in the abdomen.
While responding to the scene, officers allegedly found Reese standing over a witness while wielding a knife, according to court documents, Reese, who allegedly threw the knife in the direction of the responding officers before they placed him under arrest, denied that he had stabbed Stennis but refused to name the person he believed to be responsible.
Reese has previously been convicted of assault and tampering with a motor vehicle, according to court records. He is currently being held in the Jackson County Detention Center, where he is not eligible for bond.
Stennis’ death was the 39th homicide reported in Kansas City in 2025, according to data collected by The Star. At the same time last year, 33 homicides had been reported in the city, according to Star data.
Previous reporting by Kendrick Calfee contributed to this article.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 5:38 PM.
