New delay in Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally murder trial, as defense pushes for speed
A Jackson County judge on Friday granted a delay in the jury trial for the Kansas City man accused of firing the fatal shot that killed a Johnson County mother during the 2024 Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally mass shooting, despite arguments that he’s waited long enough for his day in court, according to court documents.
At a case management conference hearing on Friday, Judge Jalilah Otto granted prosecutors’ request to delay the case, canceling a Jan. 12 jury trial for 20-year-old Dominic M. Miller and rescheduling it for April 6.
Miller is one of three men accused of murder in the mass shooting that erupted near the close of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration outside Union Station on Feb. 14, 2024, killing 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan of Shawnee. About two dozen others were struck by gunfire, nearly half of whom were children under 16 years old, and about 60 others were injured in the chaos that followed.
Miller faces charges of second-degree felony murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
The two others charged in the case are 24-year-old Lyndell Mays of Raytown and 22-year-old Terry Young of Kansas City. They both face identical charges of second-degree felony murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. Mays also faces a charge of causing a catastrophe.
In their motion for a continuance, prosecutors noted there are three “co-defendants” in the matter and Mays’ case that should “lead the way” in trial.
Earlier this month, Mays’ attorney requested a continuance, and a judge last week canceled the March 30 trial for Mays and rescheduled it for March 29, 2027.
Also last week, another judge granted prosecutors’ request to postpone Young’s trial, which had been scheduled for March 2. A hearing has been set for April 30 to determine a new trial date.
Accused are not co-defendants
In requesting a continuance in Miller’s case, prosecutors noted that in Mays’ case, two months have been set aside to engage in jury selection and begin trial, which is expected to last two weeks.
If Miller’s case goes to trial, prosecutors expect to need similar measures for jury selection and trial. Prosecutors also noted that there were more than “3,000 pages of discovery and well over 5 terabytes of technology data.”
In response, Miller’s attorney, David Wiegert, filed a motion for a speedy trial and a motion opposing the delay, noting that Miller has been held in custody, awaiting his day in court, for nearly two years.
Wiegert said it is misleading to describe Miller as a “co-defendant” and that Mays’ case should “lead the way.” Wiegert also noted that prosecutors allege that Mays drew and fired first, prompting Miller “to draw a gun and fire in response.”
“While it is true that they are now both charged, they are not ‘co-defendants’ in the normal sense of the term,” Wiegert said in the filing.
The motion contended that prosecutors lack the authority to determine the order in which cases are tried and did not present any factual basis for the court to decide which case should proceed first. It also argued that prosecutors ignored the fact that following their preferred order would result in Miller remaining in custody for an extended period.
Wiegert argued that the cases are not linked and that there is no guarantee that Mays will not be granted further continuances before trial. He also disagreed that it would take two months to conduct jury selection and begin the trial.
“If the State truly believed that it needed these accommodations, it should have said so back in 2024, when the current trial date was selected,” the motion said.
Finally, Wiegert acknowledged in the motion that numerous individuals were involved, resulting in “countless police reports and witness statements” and a substantial volume of discovery.
“It is also true that the event itself was captured on video, rendering much of the additional large quantity of discovery, while perhaps not totally irrelevant, at least marginal as to the main issues in the case,” the motion said.
An argument between two groups that day ultimately erupted into gunfire, leaving both Miller and Mays wounded, according to prosecutors. Investigators allege that Mays fired his weapon first, but that the shot that killed Lopez-Galvan came from Miller’s firearm, court documents state. Surveillance footage is also said to show Young firing multiple rounds during the incident.
Under Missouri law, authorities can bring a murder charge against individuals involved in a fatal felony, even if that person did not fire the deadly shot.
