In the winter of 2018, a chilling premonition that had haunted David Willard for over a decade tragically became a reality. On February 14, the 39-year-old man was discovered deceased inside a residence in the 2600 block of Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. A friend of Willard's stated that, like his brother years earlier, he had been killed by someone with a gun.
This violent end was something Willard had feared since 2005, when his own brother, Todd, was fatally shot near 10th and Garfield. The loss had deeply affected Willard, who at the time expressed to his then-girlfriend his fear that he would meet a similar fate.
David, known to some as 'Dirt,' was a father to three daughters and was anticipating the joy of becoming a grandfather, as one of his daughters was pregnant at the time of his death. Friends and family remembered him as a good person who, despite having faced incarceration, had a positive impact on those around him. He was described as a talented artist with both a microphone and a pen and had recently become involved in his church. His death marked the 12th homicide in Kansas City for that year, a continuation of the city's struggle with violent crime.
The investigation into David Willard's death led to the arrest of 16-year-old Zaire A. Williams two days later in Warrensburg. Williams, who had been living at the residence where Willard's body was found, was certified to stand trial as an adult. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. According to court documents, Willard had gone to the house on the afternoon of February 14th to give his daughter money. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots after his arrival. They then allegedly saw Williams holding a gun and speaking incoherently before he hid the weapon and fled the scene. A witness described Williams as schizophrenic and bipolar, noting that he had been acting paranoid in the time leading up to the shooting, convinced that people were trying to kill him. Upon discovering Willard's body, police found him on the kitchen floor surrounded by ten rifle shell casings. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 cash bond for Williams.
