‘Lord have mercy’: Police investigate homicide Sunday afternoon in south Kansas City
The victim’s shoes stuck out from beneath the tarp covering the rest of his body. Kansas City’s crime scene van pulled up as detectives knocked on nearby doors. A young girl sat quietly on a stoop across the street, watching.
It only took a few minutes for concerned loved ones to start gathering on the other side of the police tape, begging officers for information on who was killed Sunday afternoon in the 1300 block of East 89th Street.
“This is a glimpse into what happens at every one of these scenes,” said Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman with the Kansas City Police Department. “If that doesn’t stir emotion in you as a citizen of Kansas City, I don’t know what will.”
Police arrived at the homicide scene just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday, where they found a witness performing CPR on a man who had been shot. They continued life-saving measures, but soon, the man lying in the grass in front of a town home was declared dead, Drake said.
Sunday’s death marks the 108th homicide this year in Kansas City, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal shootings by police. The victim’s name and age have not yet been made public.
“I’m irritated. I’m frustrated,” Drake said regarding the number of killings this year. “It’s a beautiful Sunday. People should be able to enjoy their Sunday, enjoy the weather, enjoy their family.”
Police on Monday morning identified the victim as 38-year-old Marvin Williams.
Police are asking anyone with information about the homicides to call the department or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. A reward of $25,000 may be available.
Drake said while calling 911 after witnessing a homicide can be “scary and intimidating,” the police department needs the community’s help to address violence in Kansas City.
“I would ask that you put yourself in the shoes of this family,” she said. “Somebody is going to be knocking on their door and changing their life for the worst. Try to have empathy for that and what you would want someone to do if that was your loved one, and do the right thing and make that phone call.”
As a crowd of mourners continued to gather at the police tape, one woman watched from a distance. She lost her own son to gun violence 19 years ago. When she heard there had been a homicide, she said she wanted to stop by.
“Lord have mercy,” she said, before getting back into her car. “Lord have mercy.”
At 6:20 p.m., as police continued to investigate the scene, an Amber Alert was pushed out across Missouri and Kansas, warning that the suspect in the homicide, 27-year-old Jordan Owsley, had fled the scene with his two young daughters. Police feared he was armed.
By 8:30 p.m. Sunday, the two girls, ages 4 and 7, were found safe, police said, but Owsley remained at large. Authorities said the homicide victim was “associated” with the girls’ mother.
This story was originally published August 21, 2022 at 4:41 PM.
