On a summer evening in Kansas City, Missouri, tragedy struck 26-year-old Christopher Mondaine. On June 14, 2014, Mondaine was fatally shot outside a liquor store located at the intersection of Sixth Street and Grand Boulevard. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Mondaine just outside his vehicle in the parking lot. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries. His death was officially recorded on June 15, 2014.
The investigation into Mondaine's death quickly led to a suspect, 24-year-old Clarence L. Henderson, who went by the nickname 'Nutty.' Witnesses reported that Henderson was in another vehicle in the same parking lot when Mondaine arrived. Accounts of the moments leading up to the shooting varied. Some witnesses who were with Henderson told authorities that Mondaine was walking towards their car when Henderson opened fire. These witnesses claimed Mondaine was grabbing the front of his pants as he approached. However, witnesses who were with Mondaine stated that he was still in the driver's seat of his own vehicle when he was shot.
Further investigation revealed that there may have been a pre-existing conflict between the two men. Witnesses who were with Mondaine told detectives they had previously seen an online video in which Henderson had made threats towards one of them. This simmering animosity appears to have culminated in the deadly encounter in the liquor store parking lot. In the aftermath of the shooting, one of the witnesses with Mondaine allegedly received a text message from Henderson stating that he was the next target.
Following the investigation, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office filed multiple charges against Clarence L. Henderson. He was charged with second-degree murder for the death of Christopher Mondaine, as well as one count of illegal discharge of a firearm and two counts of armed criminal action. His bond was set at $200,000. The charges brought a measure of progress in the case, marking the beginning of the legal proceedings to hold someone accountable for the untimely death of Christopher Mondaine.
