A 47-year-old man has been charged in Jackson County Circuit Court in the shooting death of another man whose body was found outside of a vehicle on the side of Interstate 49 in south Kansas City.

Darick L. Neely, 47, of Kansas City, faces charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in the March 13 killing of Stacey R. Witherspoon, 47.

Neely is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

Officers responded to a shooting call in the northbound lanes of I-49 north of Red Bridge Road where they found a white Nissan Murano on the side of the highway. Both of the front doors were left open and officers found Witherspoon’s body on the ground underneath the driver’s door, according to court records.

Witherspoon was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to his lower back.

According to court documents, Neely was in the back passenger seat of the vehicle while Witherspoon was driving. A witness later told investigators someone inside the SUV said, “get off of me, get him off of me.”

The witness turned and saw Neely hovering over the top of the backseat. A scuffle ensued and shots were fired through the driver’s seat, striking Witherspoon.

The witness said they had to climb into the driver’s seat to stop the SUV when Witherspoon said he couldn’t feel his legs. Neely fled after the SUV stopped, prosecutors allege.

A witness later identified Neely through a photo lineup, court records stated.

Two other witnesses later told investigators that Neely had been at a residence earlier in the evening before the March 13 shooting, handling and racking an FC 9mm Luger with blue-coated bullets.

At the crime scene, investigators collected 9mm shell casings with a blue coating from the vehicle where Witherspoon was found. A bullet recovered from Witherspoon had the same blue coating. Ammunition found on Neely also had a blue coating, according to court records.

In 2016, Neely was placed on five years probation after he received a suspended sentence when he pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, according to court records.

Witherspoon was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family later moved to Kansas City, where Witherspoon participated in youth sports. He later attended Hickman Mills High School, according to his obituary.

Witherspoon was a member of Second Missionary Baptist Church of Grandview, where he sang in the choir and played the drums.

Witherspoon is survived by 10 children, three stepchildren and eight grandchildren, according to the obituary.

His funeral service is scheduled to take place on Saturday.

This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 5:50 PM.