Handgun, witness description link Kansas City man to fatal shooting, prosecutors say
A handgun and witness statements obtained by police have led to a murder charge filed against a Kansas City man for the September shooting death of 23-year-old John T. Wilson III, according to charging documents filed Thursday in Jackson County.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Daniel A. Bigge, 23, has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection to the killing.
Kansas City police were called to Wilson’s apartment in the 1600 block of Citadel Drive after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 28. Family members reported finding Wilson dead on the bedroom floor. He had multiple gunshot wounds.
Police found several spent 9 mm shell casings and two live 9 mm rounds in the bedroom.
According to court records, police interviewed a witness who stated that he saw a man park a white SUV outside the apartment building between 4 and 5 p.m. Sept. 27. The witness described hearing gunshots a short time later, and seeing the same man driving off in the SUV.
The witness shared a description of the man and the SUV with the victim’s father, who told police it reminded him of one of his son’s friends, Bigge. Wilson’s father, who had visited Bigge’s home earlier to ask if he would be a pallbearer at his son’s funeral, recalled seeing Bigge carrying a gun under his arm and seeing a white Kia SUV parked in the driveway, court records said.
Surveillance video reviewed by police allegedly showed a white Kia Sorento traveling on 63rd Street from Citadel Drive around the time the witness reported hearing gunfire.
Bigge’s grandmother, the registered owner of a white Kia Sorento, told police she allows Bigge to drive the vehicle but could not recall if he had borrowed the vehicle on Sept. 27.
Police executed a search warrant at Bigge’s home on Wednesday, where they found two 9 mm handguns, including one in Bigge’s bedroom. Prosecutors said shell casings recovered at the scene were confirmed by the crime lab to have been fired by the handgun located in Bigge’s bedroom.
Court records state that police also gained access to Wilson’s iPhone, which allegedly showed that his last communication was with a phone number associated to Bigge.
In an interview with police, Bigge said he learned of Wilson’s death from news reports. He denied being at the victim’s home on the day he was killed and said he hadn’t spoke to Wilson recently. Court records note that Bigge made statements during the interview, saying that the victim had asked Bigge multiple times over the course of several months to kill him. Bigge said he believed the victim was being serious when making the alleged requests.
When asked directly if he shot the victim, Bigge stated, “No,” court records said.
Bigge remains in the Jackson County jail with bond set at $200,000.
An attorney for Bigge has not yet been listed in public records.
