The community of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, was shaken in early January 2022 by the discovery of a homicide involving a local woman and her roommate. The victim, identified as 39-year-old Sara B. Maloney, had been living at a residence in the 18000 block of South Purvis Road for approximately two months prior to her death. Concerns for her welfare began when her father, who had dropped off groceries days earlier, was unable to reach her.
Family members noted that it was highly unusual for the White female to be out of contact, especially since she had missed a recent family gathering to celebrate a niece's birthday.
On the afternoon of January 9, 2022, Maloney’s father went to the Pleasant Hill Police Department to report her missing. He recounted going to the home she shared with 31-year-old Levi G. Mitchell to check on her. According to court documents, Mitchell initially told the father that Maloney was asleep inside the residence. However, when pressed further about her whereabouts, Mitchell reportedly broke down and admitted to shooting her. Following this disturbing interaction, authorities utilized cellphone data to track Maloney’s device, which pinged within range of the Purvis Road home.
Deputies from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the property later that same day. Inside a bedroom, they discovered Maloney’s body with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Medical examiners estimated that she had likely been killed two days prior, around January 7. As investigators processed the scene, a manhunt ensued for Mitchell, who had fled the area. By tracking surveillance footage from a local gas station, law enforcement traced his movements to a residence in rural Raymore, Missouri.
Late on the night of January 9, members of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Apprehension Unit located Mitchell at a home on Mullen Road. A brief standoff occurred when he refused to exit the premises. Ultimately, a K9 unit was deployed, finding Mitchell hiding inside a bedroom where he was taken into custody without further incident. The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office subsequently charged him with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was ordered to be held in the Cass County Jail without bond as the case moved through the legal system.
