Kansas City marks first homicide of 2024 after man found injured in yard of home
Detectives are investigating Kansas City’s first homicide of 2024 after a man was found suffering from unknown “bodily trauma” in the yard of a home Wednesday night, a police spokeswoman said.
Officers responded to a medical call shortly before 10 p.m. where they met emergency medical workers in the yard of a home in the 2600 block of Agnes Avenue in the Washington-Wheatley neighborhood of Kansas City, said Officer Alayna Gonzalez with the Kansas City Police Department.
The emergency medical workers were rendering aid to the victim who was believed to have been suffering from a medical condition. It was later determined the victim was suffering from some type of trauma, Gonzalez said.
The victim has been identified as 70-year-old Vonzell Bryant, she said.
Homicide detectives are investigating Bryant’s death as a homicide. A person of interest has not been identified and no one was in custody, Gonzalez said. Detectives and crime scene personnel were collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Anyone who was in the area at the time is asked to call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted to the TIPS Hotline. People can also call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043.
The man’s death comes after Kansas City experienced its deadliest year on record. In 2023, 185 people were killed, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. Previously, 2020 was considered the city’s deadliest year when there had been 182 killings.
This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 7:20 AM.
