Kansas City man charged in triple murder after family found dead in home: prosecutors
A Kansas City man is accused of fatally stabbing his mother, brother and sister inside their home last week after family members grew concerned over increasingly erratic behavior, according to court records.
Rahman M. Muhammad, 38, was charged Monday with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of armed criminal action in connection to the slayings. The bodies of his relatives were discovered by police in Kansas City’s Linwood Homeowners-Ivanhoe neighborhood last week.
The victims were identified in court documents as Shirley Muhammad, Jaelin Ransom and Tyla Ransom.
Police were sent to the home in the 3200 block of Woodland Avenue on July 15 after the three had not been heard from over the course of two days. A granddaughter of Shirley Muhammad called police to say she could hear the dog barking inside the house but did not see any movement inside, according to court records.
Arriving officers knocked on the door but no one answered. They went inside through the back door, which was ajar, and announced themselves as police.
Jaelin Ransom was the first victim discovered. He was found on the first floor seated on a stairway landing. On his face was a $100 bill covering his eyes, according to a police narrative.
Officers then went upstairs to a common area on the second floor where blood was seen on the floor and the walls.
In one bedroom on the second floor, they found Tyla Ransom and Shirley Muhammad was found in the southeast bedroom
Each victim was found with a $100 bill on their head.
Court documents provided no details as to the significance of the money left on the bodies.
Police believe Rahman Muhammad to be diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
All three victims last reported to work two days before their bodies were found, according to court records. Shirley Muhammad and Tyla Ransom were both scheduled to work the day after, but did not arrive or call to take the day off, according to court records.
A family member told police that Shirley Muhammad had recently expressed concerns about “aggression” her son — Rahman Muhammad, who family said in court documents is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia — had displayed since being released from prison last year, according to court records. Shirley Muhammad told family she was worried he had been experiencing psychotic episodes.
Police began surveillance of a different residence associated with Rahman Muhammad seeking to make contact with him. On Friday, the day after the bodies were discovered, Rahman Muhammad asked officers for a ride to 32nd and Woodland because he had heard something happened to his family and he needed to see them, investigators allege.
Rahman Muhammad agreed to instead to have detectives take him to police headquarters, according to court records.
During an interview, Rahman Muhammad told police he started living at the home in the 3200 block of Woodland Avenue in June 2020 but had moved out a couple of months ago. He told police he last saw his mother and sister earlier in the week and could not recall the last time he saw his brother, according to court records.
While interviewing Rahman Muhammad, detectives noticed fresh cuts on his right palm. Blood was seen on the right cuff of his gray long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt and the white trim of his tennis shoe.
Search warrants were obtained for authorities to search Rahman Muhammad’s person, his cell phone and the home where his relatives were found.
In the home, there was a serrated kitchen knife with apparent blood on it, according to court records. The blade was bent and its tip had broken off. A pair of bloodied boxer shorts was also found with DNA likely belonging to Jaelin Ransom and Rahman Muhammad, court records said.
Detectives also learned Rahman Muhammad had arrived at Truman Medical Center around 8 p.m. Wednesday seeking care for wrist pain caused by “rough housing” with some friends, according to court records. He left about six hours later without receiving treatment, hospital workers told police.
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 3:01 PM.
