Two men charged in 2017 shooting death of a Blue Springs teenager
Two men have been charged in connection to the 2017 shooting death of a teenager in Blue Springs, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced in a news release.
Taron D. Thompson and Javonte M. Tiger, both 21, each face charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action for the shooting, which left 16-year-old Colby Stephenson dead. The teen was a junior at Blue Springs’ Valley View High School.
According to charging documents filed Friday, Blue Springs police were called to a home on Northwest Sixth Street about 1:39 a.m. Dec. 18, 2017, in reference to shots being fired. In the front yard of the residence, police found Stephenson, who had a gunshot wound to the head. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends of the victim told police multiple shots had been fired as they were leaving the home with Stephenson. Police later recovered 37 shell casings.
A description of a red vehicle possibly used in the homicide was sent out to surrounding agencies, and police later received a tip that a man named Javonte was involved.
On Dec. 20, Independence police stopped a red Dodge Avenger for a traffic violation, and Tiger and Thompson were taken into custody. Police found a 9 mm pistol and ammunition in the vehicle.
Thompson told police he owned the gun, court records state. He denied any involvement in the shooting.
Tiger declined to speak with detectives about the homicide investigation.
Prosecutors said tests of shell casings collected at the homicide scene showed that six allegedly came from the 9 mm gun belonging to Thompson.
Two witnesses later identified Thompson and Tiger as the shooters, court records state.
Thompson remains in the Jackson County jail with bond set at $100,000 cash.
Tiger is serving a seven-year sentence in a Missouri prison after being convicted of second-degree burglary, second-degree assault, receiving stolen property and unlawful use of a weapon in separate Jackson County cases from 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Online court records do not yet list attorneys for Thompson and Tiger in the murder case.
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 6:30 PM.
