In the winter of 2018, the community of Blue Springs, Missouri, was shaken by the violent and untimely death of 18-year-old Jack Thomas Lynn Price. A recent graduate of Blue Springs South High School, Jack was remembered by friends as a funny and caring individual, someone who was always there for others. His life was cut short on the night of Friday, January 12, 2018, in what began as a robbery and ended in tragedy.
That evening, at an apartment in the 100 block of Northwest Vesper
Street, two men wearing black ski masks forced their way in. The intruders were intent on robbery, and the situation quickly escalated. One of the masked men held a resident at gunpoint, demanding to know the location of certain items. In the ensuing chaos, a witness yelled for Jack to get his gun. Before he could defend himself or others, one of the intruders shot him. Price was struck in the back and arm and was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. He was a white male.
The Blue Springs Police Department swiftly launched an investigation, and within a short period, they identified two persons of interest. The investigation was aided by witnesses at the scene, one of whom recognized one of the masked men. A crucial piece of evidence, a cell phone, was also recovered on the back deck of the apartment where the suspects had fled. This, along with other information, led police to identify two suspects.
Within days of the shooting, two young men from Blue Springs, 19-year-old Triston D. Withers and 20-year-old Daquan M. Tolefree, surrendered to the police, accompanied by an attorney. Both men, who are Black males, were subsequently charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office with second-degree murder, attempted armed robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action. Court documents revealed that Withers had sent a message on social media admitting to his involvement, stating, 'turning myself in tmmrw he upped a gun on me and it was a wrap.' The tragic death of Jack Price left his family and friends devastated, prompting them to set up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses and to remember a young life taken too soon.
