In a harrowing series of events that unfolded in November 2014, 45-year-old David Mendez of Independence, Missouri, tragically lost his life. The male victim's ordeal began in the early morning hours when two men, one of whom was identified as James N. Rhymer, entered the Independence home he shared with a woman. The men made demands for items from both Mendez and the woman.
Ultimately, Mendez left the residence with Rhymer and the other man.
The situation escalated dramatically when Mendez was shot in the back seat of a car near 12th and Ewing streets in Kansas City. Following the shooting, Rhymer drove to a gas station where he poured gasoline on Mendez's body. A witness later directed Cass County sheriff's deputies to a field near East 283rd Street and Interstate 49, south of Harrisonville, where Mendez's body was discovered at noon on a Friday. A burned truck was also found in the vicinity.
The investigation quickly led law enforcement to James N. Rhymer. When police arrived at his apartment in the 3400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City, Rhymer initially refused to cooperate and barricaded himself inside. After a standoff, he surrendered to police around 2 a.m. on a Saturday.
Prosecutors charged Rhymer, then 31 years old, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. In April 2017, a Jackson County Circuit Court jury found Rhymer, then 33, guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, kidnapping, and three counts of armed criminal action. In July 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of David Mendez. He also received a 15-year sentence for the armed criminal action counts, with all sentences to run concurrently.
