Kansas City man accused of shooting landlord following October argument
A Kansas City man, allegedly distraught over the death of his child, is accused of shooting his landlord who may have wanted him off the property, according to court records.
Eric Conaway, 36, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in relation to the October shooting death of Rayford E. Reed, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office announced Friday.
According to court records, witnesses told police that Reed had allowed Conaway and a woman to stay at one of his rental properties with their child. The day of the shooting, the witness said they’d told Reed the child had died.
Later that day, prosecutors allege, Reed and another person drove to the rental property in the 2900 block of Askew Avenue. When they arrived a man came out of the house and screamed “is it true my baby dead,” court records said. The person who was with Reed told police that Reed and the man, later identified as Conaway, went into the house where he heard a verbal altercation followed by a pop, according to court records.
Then, the witness told police, Reed left the house suffering from a gunshot wound. He attempted to drive himself to the hospital but was eventually put in the back of a truck of a witness truck and brought to Truman Medical Center, where he died.
According to court records Reed’s mother told police that she missed two calls from a number later tied to Conaway around the time of the shooting. In a voicemail, she said, she could hear Reed begging for his life.
A transcript of the voicemail shows one person telling another “you ain’t got to do this” between the sound of pops.
Reed’s mother told police that she had told her son to get Conaway, also known as “Sleeze,” out of the house.
When speaking to police Conaway allegedly denied talking to Reed the day of the shooting. He said he had helped his girlfriend move out of the house she was renting from Reed.
Conaway is being held at $200,000 bond.
