Blue Springs man charged with murder after grandfather is found in freezer

A 21-year-old Blue Springs man has been charged with murder, accused of killing his grandfather and leaving the 77-year-old victim in a freezer.

Tyreik Baldwin was charged Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court with first-degree murder, domestic assault, armed criminal action and vehicle theft.

Baldwin is accused of killing his grandfather, Harvey C. Baldwin, who was found dead in a freezer at a Blue Springs home in the 1400 block of Southwest 23rd Street on Friday.

According to court records:

Police had been called to the home about 8:20 p.m. when another family member reported that Tyreik Baldwin had sneaked up on him and hit him in the head with a hammer before stealing his truck.

The family member told police that he had visited the house after becoming worried about Harvey Baldwin, who wasn’t answering his phone.

Tyreik Baldwin and Harvey Baldwin had recently been arguing over issues, including Tyreik Baldwin’s spilling of sugar in the house.

While police were at the house, they found Harvey Baldwin dead inside a chest freezer.

Police soon learned that Tyreik Baldwin had used a debit card at a Lee’s Summit gas station and allegedly had used the family member’s debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM.

Tyreik Baldwin was stopped by police on Interstate 470. He reportedly tried to flee the traffic stop, but police officers used stop sticks to halt his vehicle.

In a statement announcing the charges Wednesday, Jackson County prosecutors wrote that Tyreik Baldwin “showed no emotion when told of his grandfather’s death.”

Tyreik Baldwin was in custody Wednesday at the Jackson County jail on $250,000 bond.

This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Blue Springs man charged with murder after grandfather is found in freezer."