2 women charged after body found in illegal dumping area in Kansas City last week
Two women have been charged in relation to a homicide in which a man’s body was left in a wooded area in Kansas City.
Officers were initially called before 9 a.m. Oct. 26 to the area of East 37th Street and Oakley Avenue after a city employee discovered a body while looking into illegal dumping activity, according to the Kansas City Police Department.
In federal court records, a KCPD detective assigned to the Special Investigation Unit said the body was found in a plastic container, “wrapped in black tape.” The next day, the death was ruled a homicide.
The victim was later identified as Malvin Wallace, 56.
Michele Props, of Gardner, was charged Friday with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence in felony prosecution, which are both felonies.
Her bond was set at $35,000. A bond hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Two days earlier, Kaitlyn Andes, of Kansas City, faced the same charges. Her bond was set at $20,000. Andes’ next court appearance has not yet been set.
Last week, 46-year-old Cedric Lynn Evans was charged in federal court on allegations he illegally possessed a gun and drugs, which police say they found in the course of investigating the homicide.
Video showed a black Ford Taurus, with a specific license plate, that was used to take the body to the area. Later that day, detectives found the car in the 3800 block of East 38th Terrace, about a two-mile drive from where the body was found, according to court documents. Conducting surveillance, officers said they watched Evans leave a home there and get into the car.
Evans was found with a handgun with a magazine containing 15 live rounds and more than 440 grams of a substance that a test indicated was methamphetamine, among other things, according to charging documents.
The charges filed against Evans include being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as possession of more than 50 grams of meth with intent to sell. He has not been charged in the homicide or accused of committing it.
Wallace’s killing marked the 128th this year in Kansas City, according to data maintained by The Star.
Police ask anyone with information about the killing to call the homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
The Star’s Luke Nozicka contributed.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 8:32 AM.
