In the spring of 2019, a grim discovery was made in Kansas City, Missouri, that would mark the beginning of a years-long quest for justice and ultimately intertwine with another family tragedy. On April 1, 2019, police responded to a call near East 67th Street and Walrond Avenue, where they found the body of a man inside a car. The man, identified as 40-year-old Derrick Cordell White Sr., had been shot and killed.
His death was promptly classified as a homicide, prompting an extensive investigation into the circumstances that led to his violent end.
For over a year, the case progressed behind the scenes as detectives pieced together the evidence. A significant breakthrough came from forensic analysis. DNA evidence recovered from the door handle of the vehicle where White was found was eventually matched to a man named Brandon Hill. Further investigation revealed that a handgun in Hill's possession when he was arrested on a separate matter was the same weapon used to kill White. Ballistics testing confirmed that a bullet found in White's body had been fired from that handgun.
In May 2020, Brandon Hill, then 32, of Independence, Missouri, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Derrick White. At the time the charges were filed, Hill was already in federal custody on a separate firearms charge. Prosecutors requested a bond of $250,000 in the murder case.
The story took another tragic turn in November 2023, with the death of Derrick White Sr.'s son. On November 25, 2023, 16-year-old Derrick White Jr. was found shot and unresponsive in a home in the 3200 block of Park Avenue. Despite the efforts of emergency medical crews, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. In a sorrowful parallel to his father's fate, the younger White also died from a gunshot wound. However, investigators believed his death was the result of an accidental shooting. A juvenile was taken into custody for further questioning in connection with the incident.
