Juvenile to be tried as adult in Kansas City shooting death of 11-year-old Kourtney Freeman
A Kansas City juvenile has been charged with murder and will stand trial as an adult in connection with the killing of an 11-year-old girl earlier this year, according to Jackson County Circuit Court records.
Re’Mori T. Roath is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. The charges stem from the death of 11-year-old Kourtney Freeman, who was shot in her home in what police called a targeted attack in April.
Kourtney’s death marked the sixth homicide in Kansas City this year where the victim was under the age of 18, according to data tracked by The Star. Since her death, eight other juveniles have been killed.
A Family Court judge certified Roath this week to stand trial as an adult. His exact age was redacted from court records.
The shooting
Officers responded shortly after 9:45 p.m. April 10 near East 33rd Street and Flora Avenue on reports of shots being fired. While officers were en route, they were notified of a shooting victim inside a home in the 3300 block of Flora in the Linwood Homeowners-Ivanhoe neighborhood.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers found Kourtney suffering trauma to her head. Officers performed life-saving measures before paramedics arrived and took her to a hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Officers spoke to an occupant of the home who allegedly said she was talking to an unknown person on Snapchat about selling them marijuana, the affidavit said. The unknown person said they had arrived in a white vehicle. Occupants outside of the residence went inside and shortly after, someone started shooting into the home through the front storm glass door, striking Freeman, who was inside.
In a search of the residence, detectives found one spent 9mm casing on the front porch and 11 additional spent 9mm casings around the yard leading up to the front porch. According to court records, the front glass storm door was shattered and pools of blood were found inside the front door, in the dining room and outside the home.
Suspect vehicle, cell phone data lead to arrest
Detectives reviewed city video surveillance to identify a suspect vehicle, a light-colored Chevrolet Equinox that arrived near the area before the shooting and left two minutes before police arrived. A computer check of the license plate revealed the vehicle to be registered with a Transfer of Death to Roath.
Court records said cellphone data obtained in a search warrant showed Roath leaving a redacted location, traveling to the homicide scene, then going back to a redacted location. The travel matched the surveillance footage of the suspect vehicle, the affidavit said.
Detectives arrested Roath on May 14 after he had arrived at school that morning, the affidavit said.
A search of Roath’s residence turned up a Glock 17 9mm. Ballistic testing determined the spent shell casings at the crime scene were fired by the gun recovered at Roath’s residence, according to court records.
Roath’s DNA was found on the trigger of the gun, the affidavit said.
Roath has been held in Jackson County juvenile detention since charges were filed on May 22. A judge denied house arrest for Roath on June 12.
Family mourns Kourtney, seeks justice
Kourtney would have turned 12 in May, the month after her death.
She attended Ewing Marion Kauffman School, a Kansas City charter school for grades 5 through 12, where she was involved in an after-school organization that advocated against community violence.
Kourtney was known to be a good student, caring friend and intelligent beyond her years, family and friends said.
A vigil was held less than a week after the shooting to honor her memory. Family and friends were joined by community advocates against violence, who gathered in front of her home.
“Despite her tender age, Kourtney possessed a wisdom far beyond her years, approaching life with a grace and maturity that inspired all who knew her,” her obituary said.
Samantha Freeman, Kourtney’s mother, has said she is eager for her daughter’s killer to face consequences. She said that when Kourtney died, a part of her soul was taken away from her.
“You gonna get what you deserve,” she said in April, addressing the shooter.
Reporting from Ilana Arougheti, Noelle Alviz-Gransee and Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this story.
