Independence woman accused of killing boyfriend flees house arrest, authorities say
Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a 25-year-old Independence woman who allegedly removed her house arrest bracelet and fled after she was charged in the killing of her boyfriend in eastern Jackson County.
Katie Black was charged with second-degree felony murder and other crimes in the fatal shooting of her 29-year-old Ryan Wheeler, who died in Sibley on the evening of July 7.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said it is now asking for the public’s help in searching for Black, who was released on bond last month. She allegedly removed her house arrest bracelet and fled Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information about her location to call 816-541-8017 extension 72231.
On July 7, investigators were summoned to a dead-end road in Sibley near an access to the Missouri River following a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound. Arriving officers found Black at the scene standing next to a white Chevy Tahoe as emergency officials were preparing to take her boyfriend to the hospital.
At the scene and during a later interview with a Jackson County detective, Black offered multiple conflicting accounts of what happened, according to a charging documents.
In her initial story, Black allegedly told an investigator her boyfriend was shot during a struggle with an unknown man outside of their parked SUV. She described hearing the sound of two gunshots before the man ran away toward the railroad tracks. Then, she told police, she dialed 911 while applying pressure to her boyfriend’s wound.
During an interview at the agency’s headquarters, Black allegedly admitted to shooting her boyfriend but described what transpired as an accident.
Police also interviewed a relative of the man killed that day. The relative told a detective Black was angry with her boyfriend because she discovered he was sending romantic text messages to other women, according to court records.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 2:31 PM.
