Kansas City woman found guilty in triple shooting that killed three
A Kansas City woman has been found guilty of three counts of murder stemming from a shooting two years ago that left two women and one man dead in the city’s Oak Park neighborhood.
Lynnsey D. Jones, 37, was convicted late Thursday on the murder charges along with three counts of armed criminal action following a jury trial in Jackson County Circuit Court that lasted four days. She was accused alongside Victor Sykes, 45, her boyfriend at the time, in the killings of Larry Barnes, 40; Brandy Jones, 38; and Larona Jones, 42.
According to court records, the shooting unfolded in the area of East 45th Street and Benton Boulevard. Police officers on patrol were drawn to the sound of gunfire.
Two people were spotted in the street by arriving officers. One, a woman, later identified as Jones, was seen entering a car and appeared to be holding a rifle. She was taken into police custody at the scene. Police arrested Sykes a short distance away after he allegedly ran.
One of the victims was found outside in the 4500 block of Benton, his body surrounded by rifle casings. Officers entered a home on that block with its door ajar and found the other two victims fatally shot.
Authorities have pointed to the deaths as a drug deal gone wrong. During an initial interview with police, Jones allegedly said she was waiting at the residence where Brandy and Larona Jones were found for drugs when two men outside began arguing. One man shot the other, court records said, and handed the gun to her. She denied that Sykes was there.
After learning Sykes had been arrested, Jones allegedly claimed to have shot and killed all three people there herself. She told police she did so “because I’m a bad person,” a detective wrote in charging documents.
A sentencing hearing for Jones has yet to be arranged. Sykes is scheduled to stand trial in the killings starting Nov. 29.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 9:44 PM.
