16-year-old charged with murder in Kansas City shooting that killed one
A 16-year-old is charged with murder in the killing of a man who was shot to death in a home in Kansas City’s East Blue Valley neighborhood on Friday evening.
The Office of the Juvenile Officer, which acts as a prosecutor in juvenile cases, charged the teenager with second-degree murder and armed criminal action on Saturday. He is accused of killing 45-year-old Marcus R. Benson.
Around 8:15 p.m. Friday, Kansas City police officers were called to a home in the 6900 block of East 17th Street on a reported shooting. They were met on the front porch by the woman who called 911 and were then directed to the bathroom.
In the bathtub officers found Benson, who had been shot multiple times. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
The 911 caller told police her son called her earlier that night, saying he shot Benson and then ran away to a nearby park, according to court documents. She said she picked him up, drove him back to the house and called police, the court documents say.
As officers were on scene, they were directed to a GMC Acadia parked on the street near the home. The juvenile suspect was located in the vehicle and taken into police custody.
Homicide detectives applied for search warrants through Jackson County Circuit Court to collect evidence from the vehicle and the home. Among the items listed in evidence logs were several spent shell casings found in the bathroom and front room of the residence.
Available court documents obtained by The Star offer no alleged motive for the shooting or mention of any relationship between Benson and the teenager.
The 16-year-old continued to be held in juvenile detention as of Thursday.
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 8:53 PM.
