In the summer of 2018, a life was tragically cut short in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Jacob Sklyer Stowers, a 25-year-old male, died on June 21, 2018. His death was not the result of an accident, but a violent act that occurred at a residence in Houston Lake, a small city in Platte County, Missouri. The evening of his death, Jacob was at a house on NW Venetian Drive when an argument broke out.
The dispute was with a man named Coty Borst, who was 28 years old at the time and from
Shawnee, Kansas. The argument escalated, and Borst retrieved a firearm. He then shot the unarmed Jacob Stowers in the back. Following the shooting, Jacob was rushed to North Kansas City Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.
After shooting Jacob, Coty Borst fled the scene. A manhunt involving several law enforcement agencies, including the Platte County Sheriff's Department, the Kansas City Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, ensued. With the aid of a police helicopter and a K-9 unit, authorities located Borst hiding in a nearby creek bed, approximately 100 yards from the house where the shooting took place. During his capture, Borst initially resisted and even threatened the police dog with his handgun before surrendering.
Initially, Borst gave conflicting stories to detectives, at one point claiming he acted in self-defense and that Jacob had shot at him first. However, investigators found only one shell casing at the scene. Evidence presented in court showed that Jacob was not armed and had not threatened Borst. Ultimately, Borst admitted to shooting Jacob, stating he believed Jacob was going to get a gun, a claim that was unsubstantiated as no other weapon was found.
Coty Borst was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. His trial concluded on March 11, 2020, when a Platte County jury found him guilty of both charges. On July 14, 2020, Borst was sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison. The sentence consisted of 30 years for the murder charge and a consecutive 15-year term for armed criminal action. He will be eligible for parole after serving 28 and a half years of his sentence.
