In the early morning hours of Halloween on October 31, 2014, 22-year-old Black male Dionte Greene was discovered deceased in Kansas City, Missouri. Police officers responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle found him slumped over the center console of his car in the 6900 block of Bellefontaine Avenue. The engine was still running, the lights were on, and the windows were covered in moisture.
Greene had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the face, and his body was located miles from his home in a residential area. Initially, the nature of the crime sparked concerns within the community and among federal investigators that Greene may have been targeted due to his sexual orientation, leading the FBI to review the case for potential civil rights violations.
Homicide detectives eventually pieced together the events leading up to the shooting by analyzing Greene’s cellphone records and social media communications. Investigators determined that Greene had arranged to meet an individual known online as 'Tra da Gunner' for a sexual encounter. This individual was later identified as Travone Shaw. Reports indicated that Shaw and an accomplice, Antonio Golston, had devised a plan to rob Greene during the meetup. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station captured Greene driving his gold sedan with Shaw in the passenger seat shortly before the murder occurred.
According to court records and testimony, the group traveled to the location on Bellefontaine Avenue where the robbery was set to take place. Golston, who was in the back seat, allegedly instructed Shaw to take the front passenger seat prior to Greene's arrival. After stopping at the residence, a struggle ensued inside the vehicle. Shaw told investigators that Golston produced a. 45 caliber handgun and pointed it at the driver. During the physical altercation, Golston fired the weapon, striking Greene. The two suspects then fled the scene, leaving the victim inside the idling car.
Legal proceedings followed for both suspects involved in the plot. In May 2016, a Jackson County jury convicted Travone Shaw of involuntary manslaughter, stealing, and two counts of armed criminal action. He was subsequently sentenced to 17 years in prison. Later that same year, in October 2016, a separate jury found Antonio Golston guilty of voluntary manslaughter, first-degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action. Golston received a sentence of 25 years in prison, with the judge ordering the terms for the robbery and other counts to run concurrently.
