In the spring of 2020, the life of 18-year-old Mauricia Strother was cut short in a burst of violence on a Kansas City, Missouri street. On the morning of May 3rd, police responded to a shooting in the 8000 block of Michigan Avenue to find Mauricia inside a vehicle, critically wounded by gunfire. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to her injuries three days later.
The shooting was one of seven homicides that plagued Kansas City in a particularly violent five-day span.
Mauricia, a young woman with a bright future, was remembered by her mother as a leader who was adored by her friends. She had a passion for fashion and had aspirations of attending college to study journalism. A shy child who blossomed into an outgoing personality, she had studied French at Acadèmie Lafayette before attending Paseo Academy. Her sudden death left her family heartbroken and seeking justice for their only child.
The investigation into Mauricia’s death led police to 18-year-old Wesley Palton. According to witnesses, the day before the fatal shooting, Mauricia had been trying to protect Palton’s girlfriend from his alleged abuse, which led to Palton threatening her. Investigators found nine shell casings at the scene, suggesting the shots were fired from a moving vehicle. Surveillance footage from the area showed a vehicle associated with Palton at the time of the homicide. Further evidence connected Palton to other recent shootings, including shots fired at the home of the girlfriend's grandmother and another incident in Kansas City, Kansas, through matching shell casings.
Wesley Palton was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. Initially, Palton denied his involvement, claiming he was at home on the night of the shooting. However, he later pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter in the first degree and armed criminal action. For his role in the death of Mauricia Strother, Wesley Palton was sentenced to ten years in prison.
