Kansas City man charged in fatal shooting of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro
A 22-year-old man was charged Thursday in the killing of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, whose death in June outraged the city and gave a name to a federal anti-crime initiative.
The charges against Ryson Ellis of Kansas City were announced by Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker at a news conference as LeGend’s parents stood behind her.
Ellis’ arrest was a result of information volunteered by members of the community, Baker said. Detectives in court records said they received numerous anonymous tips naming him as the shooter.
“My praise really goes to this local police department … It was a team effort,” Baker said. “This is like the kind of work where detectives wear on the soles of their shoes because they’ve just got to keep working leads.”
LeGend’s mother, Charron Powell, said the day was good but hard, and called for change.
“This should enlighten us that we have a problem in this city and the only way we can solve it is coming together as a community,” she said.
Ellis was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.
LeGend was fatally shot June 29 while sleeping at the Citadel Apartments at 1642 Bushman Drive in Kansas City. Charging documents released Thursday detail what prosecutors say led to the shooting:
A week earlier, Ellis had allegedly assaulted a woman by striking her in the head. He then yanked her baby, who was not LeGend, out of her arms and left the residence they were at.
The woman told her relatives about the domestic assault. Her brothers — one of whom is the father of LeGend — then went to Ellis’ listed address to confront him.
A fight broke out and Ellis was injured. Ellis’ mother grabbed a long gun and made threats. The woman then grabbed her son and the family left, according to prosecutors.
Since the incident, the woman had been staying with her mother at Apt. 123 at the Citadel Apartments out of fear Ellis would hurt her, she told detectives. She had filed an ex-parte order against him, police said.
The woman was asleep on a couch when bullets ripped through the apartment, killing LeGend.
Detectives determined a suspect vehicle, a Ford Fusion, that was captured on video had been rented between June 23 and July 3. A witness told police she drove the car that night and said Ellis got out of it near Apt. 123 before she heard gunshots, according to prosecutors.
Ellis then came running back to the car, police said. When he got in, she heard a gun hit the floor. Only later did the woman learn someone had been killed by the gunfire.
A witness also told detectives the suspect had a “fade cut” and facial hair on the chin. That description generally matched that of Ellis.
Ellis was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Thursday morning.
Speaking at the news conference, Powell, LeGend’s mother, said she was grateful for the step toward justice for her son. But she said it was also important to remember a 22-year-old man was now jailed.
“In reality ... this is a lose situation for my family including his,” she said.
Powell called for community members to step up, like they did in her son’s case, to help reduce the violence.
As of Thursday, 127 homicides have been reported this year in Kansas City, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. By this time last year, there had been 91 slayings.
The charges against Ellis, Baker said, were an important step in solving the city’s violent crime problem. Like Powell, she called on the community to come together in solving cases and finding a solution.
“Even in light of our historic numbers, don’t become calloused,” Baker said. “Sometimes it’s a little easier to fight for the innocence of a LeGend but every homicide deserves that kind of attention.”
‘One step closer’
Leaders across the political spectrum praised detectives for making an arrest in the killing of Kansas City’s youngest homicide victim this year.
Mayor Quinton Lucas called the charges good news, Thursday, but said his “heart continues to break for LeGend’s family.
“During a difficult and controversial time they always said they wanted justice for their son, they wanted justice for their family,” he said. “We’re seeing that today.”
Lucas said the case underscores the importance of community cooperation with law enforcement and the dedication of police and federal partners.
“Thank you for the hard investigative work of the women and men of law enforcement and the prosecutors with a heavy task ahead,” he wrote.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri also thanked the detectives.
“One of the tragedies in the violence we see today is the loss of lives unlived,” Blunt said in a statement. “While there is nothing that will fully heal the heartbreak LeGend Taliferro’s family has suffered, I am glad they are one step closer to getting the justice they deserve.”
A federal anti-crime effort named for LeGend was announced soon after his killing and was said to be sending hundreds of law enforcement agents to cities across the country.
Operation LeGend has since been credited with numerous arrests. The charges in the Taliferro case were announced by the Jackson County prosecutor, a local official.
“We are all pleased that we’re now a step closer to finding justice for the tragic murder of LeGend Taliferro,” Tim Garrison, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a statement. “This case underscores the effectiveness of state, local and federal law enforcement working together to reduce violent crime in KC.”
Attorney General William Barr said the arrest illustrated the potential of Operation Legend more broadly. He said the charges stemmed from cooperation among Kansas City officers, the FBI and U.S. Marshals.
“Although LeGend’s suspected murderer has been arrested, Operation Legend will go on,” Barr said.
President Donald Trump mentioned the arrest during a White House press briefing, holding up a photo of LeGend. He mispronounced LeGend’s last name as he commented on the arrest.
“It was just announced by Attorney General Barr that they’ve caught the killer of LeGend Taliferro, horribly shot young man, wonderful young man,” Trump said. “That’s really good news. They caught the killer of LeGend.”
Prosecutors requested Ellis be held without bond. He did not yet have an attorney listed in court records who could be reached for comment.
McClatchy’s Michael Wilner and The Star’s Allison Kite and Bryan Lowry contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 4:18 PM.
