Kansas City man convicted of killing ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend in 2021 shooting
A Kansas City man was convicted by a Jackson County jury Friday for shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend after breaking into a home in March 2021.
Brandon Pritchard, 37, was found guilty of the voluntary manslaughter of Michael Utley, armed criminal action and first-degree burglary. Pritchard will be sentenced at a later date, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that, on March 21, 2021, Pritchard entered a home on the 400 block of White Avenue in northeast Kansas City. Pritchard’s ex-girlfriend, who is not named in court documents, was with her boyfriend at the time – Utley – when Pritchard came inside.
According to documents filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, Utley grabbed his gun and went downstairs, when Pritchard and another man asked to speak to the woman. After two minutes of arguing, Utley allegedly told the men to leave.
The woman heard Pritchard yelling, “You know me, why you pulling a gun on me?” She heard Utley reply, “Because you came into my house.”
The woman heard five gunshots, she told police, then rushed down to find Utley wounded in the foyer. He allegedly told her, “They shot me.”
Utley later died at the scene.
The following day, police located the man with Pritchard during the shooting. He told detectives they had gone to the house so Pritchard could talk to a girl, according to court documents.
On March 25, 2021, officers arrested Pritchard on the 400 block of Donnelly Avenue. He initially denied being at the home at the time of the shooting.
Pritchard has previous convictions, including one for a domestic violence incident. Because he is a “frequent offender,” according to the prosecutor’s office, his convictions will be sentenced as Class A felonies, the most serious class of offenses.
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 11:06 AM.
CORRECTION: This story originally misstated the area of the city where the crime occurred in northeast Kansas City.