Kansas City man charged with murder of pregnant lover: ‘She had to die’

A man charged with stabbing a woman several times told police “she had to die,” according to a court document released Thursday.

Deandrea R. Vine, 27, was found dead early Saturday in the front yard of a house in the 8500 block of East 92nd Street, where she and her four children were living with other family members.

Xzavier C. McDowell, 17, who worked with Vine at the Walmart on Missouri 350, was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors asked that bail be set at $250,000 cash.

Police said McDowell admitted he tossed the knife he used in the stabbing and burned his bloody clothes.

Police said McDowell told them he had a “lust relationship” with Vine but that he was upset when she told him she was pregnant and he was the father.

According to the court document, McDowell told police he and Vine had sex in a vehicle in the driveway of the house. He said she then tried to stab him but he was able to grab the knife away from her and stabbed her “a bunch of times.” Police said McDowell told them he kept stabbing Vine because he was “trying to make it happen faster.”

A witness said she heard screaming at 1:45 a.m.

Police said McDowell told them he left for about five minutes but returned to make sure Vine was dead and stabbed her several more times, including in the head, because “she had to die.”

Vine was found with stab wounds to her head, face, neck, chest, stomach, arms and hands.

Police said McDowell called Uber to take him home. Police found evidence of blood in McDowell’s bathroom and ashes from clothing in the yard.

Vine’s mother, with whom she lived, told The Star her daughter lived her life overcoming learning disabilities and with epilepsy. Vine left a 7-year-old daughter, a 5-year-old son, a 3-year-old daughter and a 21-month-old son.

This story was originally published August 2, 2018 at 2:41 PM.