Prosecutors charge boyfriend with kidnapping, assault of suburban Kansas City teen found dead
A Kansas City man is accused of three felonies, including kidnapping and assault, after his 17-year-old girlfriend was found dead with gunshot and stab wounds in a Grandview apartment complex on Sunday.
Jackson County prosecutors have charged Tyheem V. Anderson, 19, with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and kidnapping stemming from an investigation into the death of Amauri Hughes, of Grandview, who had been reported missing by family.
Prosecutors allege Anderson held Hughes “for a substantial period” without her consent or under the threat of force on the day she was found dead. He is also accused of causing serious injuries by shooting and stabbing her.
Anderson was arrested by Kansas City police Tuesday and placed on a 24-hour hold for suspected homicide. Additional criminal charges were being explored Wednesday night as the case remained an active investigation, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
On Saturday afternoon, Kansas City police officers were dispatched to an address in the 3300 block of East 75th Street in response to a reported disturbance. The 911 caller told police that Hughes had been sneaking out of the house to visit Anderson, according to an affidavit prepared by a Kansas City police detective.
Officers were told a friend of Hughes’ had witnessed a concerning exchange followed by sounds of a struggle while they were on Facetime with her.
The officers knocked on the door and walked around the house but did not make contact with anyone. They also called the 17-year-old’s employer and were told she had taken the day off work. Police opened a missing person’s investigation.
The following day, the person who first contacted Kansas City police received a phone call from Hughes and reported she sounded lethargic or possibly under the influence. She received other texts and calls asking her to pick up Hughes at two separate locations.
After arriving home, the person who reported Hughes missing saw Grandview police near her residence and learned they were investigating a report of a dead body found near a carport. The body was identified as Hughes.
Detectives noticed several traumas to Hughes, including apparent stab wounds, bruises, cuts and broken teeth. A preliminary autopsy had yet to be completed at the time charging documents were filed.
On Monday, Kansas City police searched Anderson’s residence in the 3300 block of East 75th Street, roughly eight miles from where her body was found.
Tests performed by crime scene investigators showed the presumptive presence of blood throughout the residence, including on a wall, the kitchen floor and the laundry room. Police also collected an apparent human tooth and a spent .45 caliber shell casing.
During a police interview on Tuesday, Anderson said he had been in a relationship with Hughes for three years. He said they had been in an argument Sunday about something seen on her phone and that he confronted her.
After becoming aware she had been reported as a missing person, Anderson said he arranged for her to be picked up by an Uber. He denied ever becoming physically violent with her or killing her.
This story was originally published November 15, 2023 at 11:12 PM.
