On July 9, 2014, a violent home invasion disturbed the quiet of the 8500 block of Hallet Street in Lenexa, Missouri, resulting in the tragic deaths of two residents. The incident claimed the life of 79-year-old male Clifford E. Preston and his 47-year-old stepson, Brian S. Baskind. The double homicide, which marked the city's first such case in two years, unfolded inside the home the men shared.
Police were initially drawn to the scene not by a report from the victims, but by a distress call from the perpetrator himself, who had sustained a gunshot wound during the commission of the crime.
The events began when 27-year-old Alex Wayne Brune, a local Lenexa resident experiencing financial difficulties, targeted the residence for a burglary. Armed with a large knife and an airsoft gun painted to resemble a real firearm, Brune dressed in black and wore a mask to conceal his identity. He gained entry to the house by cutting a hole in a window screen. Once inside, he encountered the homeowners. A struggle ensued in the basement of the property, during which Brune fatally stabbed both Preston and Baskind. During the altercation, one of the victims managed to shoot Brune in the abdomen, leaving the intruder wounded on the front lawn where officers later discovered him.
Upon arrival, law enforcement found Brune injured outside and subsequently entered the home to conduct a welfare check. Inside, they discovered the bodies of Preston and Baskind, who had succumbed to their stab wounds. Brune was transported to a hospital for treatment, where he initially provided investigators with a fabricated narrative. He claimed he had been kidnapped from his own home, taken to the Hallet Street residence, and forced to fight for his life against the two men. However, detectives dismantled this story using surveillance footage from local businesses and traffic cameras, which tracked Brune's van traveling to the crime scene, contradicting his claims of abduction.
As the investigation progressed, the evidence pointed conclusively to a botched robbery rather than a kidnapping. Prosecutors revealed that Brune had likely followed Baskind home after spotting his luxury vehicle, intending to rob the occupants. Brune was eventually charged with two counts of first-degree murder, alongside charges for aggravated burglary and robbery. Confronted with the overwhelming evidence and facing an upcoming trial, the suspect abandoned his initial defense and admitted to his true role in the slayings.
In August 2016, Alex Wayne Brune appeared in Johnson County District Court where he pleaded guilty to the two counts of first-degree murder. The judge followed the recommendation of prosecutors, sentencing Brune to two consecutive life sentences. Under the terms of the sentence, he must serve a minimum of 50 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. The conclusion of the legal proceedings brought a final resolution to the investigation, confirming that Preston and Baskind were innocent victims attacked within the sanctity of their own home.
