In the autumn of 2021, a life was abruptly cut short in Kansas City, Missouri, leaving a family in mourning and a community searching for answers. Wyshaud Smith, a 27-year-old male, was fatally shot on September 28, 2021. The incident unfolded in the Swope Parkway-Elmwood neighborhood, at the intersection of East 53rd Street and Brighton Avenue.
On that Tuesday afternoon, authorities were called to the scene of a car crash.
They discovered Wyshaud Smith inside the vehicle, unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he died on September 30, 2021. The investigation into his death was quickly classified as a homicide.
Detectives pieced together the events of that day using surveillance footage from the area. The footage revealed a black Dodge Durango pulling up alongside Smith's car. Moments later, Smith's vehicle veered off the road and collided with a utility pole as the Durango sped away. Investigators learned from Smith's father that his son had been involved in an 'ongoing feud' with another man.
The investigation led police to 24-year-old Corey Marrett. Using a license plate reader and cell phone records, authorities were able to connect Marrett to the scene of the crime. According to court records, the dispute that culminated in the shooting began at a tow lot where a family member of Marrett and Smith had been in a disagreement. Marrett was arrested on January 18, 2022.
In early February 2022, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office announced charges against Corey Marrett. He was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with the death of Wyshaud Smith. Prosecutors requested a bond of $250,000.
