Kansas City’s record homicide rate drops by one after suspicious death ruled undetermined
The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death of a 64-year-old woman in late October as undetermined, reducing Kansas City’s homicide total for the year by one, a police spokesman said Tuesday.
A relative checking on Paulette Barnes found her body about 10:15 a.m. Oct. 28 inside an apartment in the 4000 block of East 56th Terrace. The relative had told police that he had not heard from her for a while and he went to check on her.
At the time, police said investigators believed her death was likely not natural. They were investigating her death as suspicious, likely a homicide.
“Based on their medical/scientific findings, they (medical examiner’s office) believe the victim was deceased prior to being shot,” said Officer Jake Becchina with the Kansas City Police Department in an email. “This homicide is being reclassified as a death investigation.”
Despite the ruling, Kansas City remains on pace to tie or break the record for its deadliest year. So far this year, there have been 179 homicides. In 2020, 182 lives were lost, the most homicides ever recorded in Kansas City. There were 180 killings by this time in 2020.
