Jackson County jury convicts man in 2014 fatal shooting that left boy paralyzed

A Jackson County jury on Thursday returned a guilty verdict in the 2014 shooting that killed a 34-year-old man and paralyzed a 10-year-old boy at a gas station at 45th Street and Cleveland Avenue.

Dontae D. Jefferson was convicted of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in the death of Ka’Vyea Curry during a criminal trial held this week.

Authorities said Jefferson walked up as Curry got into his car on April 18, 2014, and fired eight .40-caliber bullets, killing Curry immediately and striking his son, Ka’Vyea Tyson-Curry, in the spine. An unrelated 5-year-old in the car was unharmed.

The shooting shocked a community, and officials pleaded with the public to offer information, but tips were few.

The break came from surveillance video at the BP station and from people who were later interviewed, according to court records.

Video showed that two men arrived and parked at the gas station shortly after 9:30 p.m. that evening, roughly 30 minutes before the shooting. Their vehicle was a black Chevrolet Tahoe with chrome door trim and other distinguishing features. Video from inside the station’s convenience store captured images of the men, one of whom had a large-faced wristwatch and a white cellphone.

Curry, his son and the other boy were also captured on the interior video. They had bought candy and juice before returning to their car parked at the gas pumps.

Prosecutors said Jefferson then left the store and put on a dark hoodie while his associate drove the Tahoe out of the parking lot, stopped on 45th Street and turned off the vehicle’s lights.

Video showed that the shooter then walked to the victims’ car and began firing at close range before running off toward the Tahoe.

Jefferson had pleaded guilty in 2004 to an armed robbery in Grandview and was sentenced to 10 years. He was released in August 2013.

In September, Jefferson was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse in an attack that happened Aug. 26 inside the Jackson County Detention Center.

Prosecutors said Jefferson stole keys and wandered the halls of the jail for almost two hours with two other inmates before he allegedly raped a woman.

Jefferson is scheduled to be sentenced on the murder conviction Oct. 27.

This story was originally published August 24, 2017 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Jackson County jury convicts man in 2014 fatal shooting that left boy paralyzed."