Raymond Jones, a 58-year-old male, was fatally shot on January 21, 2017, in Kansas City, Missouri. The incident occurred in the 8200 block of Troost Avenue following an interpersonal dispute earlier that evening. Police officers were dispatched to the area around midnight after reports of gunfire and discovered Jones lying in the street just north of a Family Dollar store.
He had sustained two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that the violence stemmed from an altercation inside a nearby apartment where Jones and another man, Thomas Earl Midgette Jr., had been arguing. During the confrontation, Jones reportedly punched Midgette in the nose. After the physical altercation, Midgette left the apartment, and Jones subsequently left to purchase beer at a nearby store. Surveillance footage obtained by Kansas City detectives proved crucial in piecing together the events that followed. The video showed Midgette leaving the apartment holding his injured nose and later following Jones while carrying a firearm.
The surveillance footage captured Midgette walking up to Jones and the subsequent shooting. The video showed Jones falling to the ground and Midgette standing over him, allegedly firing the fatal shots. A witness later told police that Midgette had visited her apartment after the shooting, appearing upset and stating that she would not see Raymond anymore. Investigators executed a search warrant at Midgette's residence, where they recovered clothing matching what was seen in the video and 20-gauge shotgun shells similar to a shell casing found near the victim's body.
Thomas Earl Midgette Jr., who was 54 at the time of the incident, was identified as the primary suspect and arrested. He initially denied involvement but reportedly changed his account after being presented with the surveillance evidence. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. In November 2018, Midgette pleaded guilty to reduced charges, including second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
In March 2019, the legal proceedings concluded with Midgette's sentencing in Jackson County Circuit Court. A judge sentenced him to life imprisonment for the second-degree murder charge, with concurrent sentences of 30 years for armed criminal action and seven years for the weapons charge.
