Etta Carol King McKenzie, a 67-year-old female, and her husband, Kenneth McKenzie, were tragically killed in their Raytown, Missouri, home on January 13, 2021. The couple's lives were cut short in a violent encounter that stunned their community and left their family grappling with an immense loss. Remembered as a positive force in their neighborhood, Etta was known for her beautiful flowers and warm, friendly demeanor.
She was a State Farm agent and a dedicated member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her commitment to her community was further evidenced by her initiative in launching a 24-hour daycare center to support parents working overnight shifts.
The events that led to the couple's death began to unfold when Kenneth McKenzie made a distressed 911 call, stating 'Des' and pleading for help. In a second call, he specified his address and said, 'my nephew's here. When Raytown police officers responded to the scene, they found a naked man, later identified as the couple's 29-year-old nephew, Desmond C. Richardson, inside the home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and covered in blood. After a brief standoff, Richardson came outside and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Inside the residence, authorities discovered the bodies of Etta and Kenneth McKenzie. The scene was marked by signs of a violent struggle, with blood found throughout the house and multiple knives recovered. Investigators determined that both victims had sustained numerous stab wounds. In a subsequent interview with detectives, Richardson admitted to stabbing both his aunt and uncle. According to court documents, Richardson stated that a fight had broken out in the living room. He allegedly followed Etta to her room, where she shot at him before he killed her. He then confronted his uncle, who also fired several shots at him before he was killed.
Desmond C. Richardson of Kansas City was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in the deaths of his aunt and uncle. Prosecutors also charged him in a separate case with vehicle hijacking, alleging he had stolen a Jeep Compass just hours before the killings and driven it to the McKenzie's home. A cash bond of $500,000 was requested by the prosecution. The deaths of Kenneth and Etta McKenzie were the first two homicides recorded in Raytown that year. Their children, left to mourn the sudden loss of their parents, found a small measure of solace in the fact that their parents, who were best friends and deeply in love, had died together.
