DNA links Kansas City man charged in 2019 fatal shooting of teen in Brookside area
A 29-year-old Kansas City man, who was already being held in Jackson County jail in a separate murder case, has been charged in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old last year in a Brookside park, according to prosecutors.
Jonathan D. Campbell faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Corey Robinson on July 9, 2019, according to a news release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
A swab of his DNA was obtained through a search warrant. The Kansas City Crime Lab found that the DNA on two shotgun shells found at the scene likely belonged to Campbell.
Corey Robinson’s death
Police had responded shortly after midnight to a shooting in the area of 57th and McGee streets where they found Robinson lying in the grass in Brookside Park, which is about two blocks from the Trolley Track Trail. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Crime scene investigators found the victim’s cell phone, eight 10 mm shell casings and two live 12 gauge shotgun rounds at the scene of the fatal shooting, according to court documents. The only item they found on Robinson was a single key tied to a lanyard around his neck. His pants pocket was turned out and he didn’t have shoes.
Before the shooting, a witness told police that she heard two men “dressing somebody down,” followed by what sounded like firecrackers. She heard a car door shut and when she went to the window, she saw somebody get into an SUV, documents show.
Motion activated surveillance video from the area showed a dark-colored crossover-type SUV arriving at the scene of the homicide with its lights off about midnight. The SUV backed into the drive that separates the park from some apartments in the area.
When motion reactivates the video a few minutes later, a person can bee seen quickly entering the front passenger side of the SUV, which was near the park, before it speeds away with its lights still off.
Investigators reviewed Robinson’s cell phone and discovered that the last person he exchanged texts and phone call with was a person they later identified as Campbell, documents show.
The investigation and allegations
One text, allegedly sent by Campbell about 40 minutes after the homicide, warned Robinson to watch out for himself.
Investigators also found a text exchange indicating that Robinson had arranged to buy drugs from a dealer at about 8 p.m. the night before he died.
When detectives contacted Campbell by phone on Sept. 9, 2019, he said he asked Robinson to come over to his apartment, which was in the same Northland complex as Robinson’s home, the night of the homicide.
Campbell allegedly told detectives that Robinson said he was already headed into the city. Campbell told detectives that he then met Robinson near 47th Street and Troost Avenue, where Campbell bought $50 worth of marijuana for personal use and to sell.
Inside the car with Robinson were two unknown women and a man, who Campbell referred to as “lil dude.” Campbell said the encounter was brief and he then went to his cousin’s near 59th Street and Jackson Avenue. When he later sent Robinson the cautionary text, Campbell said he was referring to the man in the car.
Mapping of Campbell’s phone, however, allegedly doesn’t place him in the area where he said he was. Phone data also showed that Campbell was in contact with another person around the time of the shooting. Court records say detectives believe that person is a second suspect.
Detectives also discovered that Campbell’s girlfriend drives a 2019 black Ford Escape, which is consistent with the one seen in the surveillance video.
Other charges against Campbell
Campbell was arrested and charged in December in the fatal double shooting of 52-year-old Evelyn Frazier on Nov. 26, 2019, in the 3000 block of Cypress Avenue. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and three counts of armed criminal action.
Campbell previously had been convicted of kidnapping, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery. He was sentenced to prison for 12 years in May 2008. He was released in February 2019, about five months before Robinson’s death, according to court documents.
He is currently being held in Jackson County jail. Prosecutors have asked for a $250,000 bond.
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This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 1:33 PM.
