Crime

Kansas City police investigate suspicious death after finding body Monday morning

The Kansas City Police Department has opened a suspicious death investigation after officers found a dead body outside of a residence Monday morning in the city’s Swope Parkway-Elmwood neighborhood.

At roughly 10:45 a.m. police were called to the intersection of 56th Terrace and Elmwood Avenue on a report of a dead body, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a department spokesman, said in an email. Arriving officers found one adult male deceased near the street outside of a home there, Becchina said.

Police say the circumstances surrounding the death are suspicious and unknown. The department’s homicide unit is leading the investigation. Investigators and detectives are working with the medical examiner to positively identify the dead man and determine the cause of death, Becchina said.

“The death does not appear to be natural,” Becchina said.

The department is encouraging anyone with information about the suspicious death to contact the homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Bill Lukitsch
The Kansas City Star
Bill Lukitsch covered nighttime breaking news for The Kansas City Star since 2021, focusing on crime, courts and police accountability. Lukitsch previously reported on politics and government for The Quad-City Times.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER