In August 2016, emergency responders in Kansas City, Missouri, were dispatched to a Northland apartment complex following reports of a fire. A witness had observed flames engulfing a second-floor unit shortly before 6 a.m., prompting the call to authorities. When firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze, they discovered a grisly scene inside the residence. The body of 52-year-old Asian woman Ying Li was found in her living room.
Investigators determined that the fire had been intentionally set in multiple locations within the apartment, likely in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The subsequent examination of the victim revealed the brutal nature of her death. Li had been stabbed 18 times and decapitated, and her fingers had been severed. Authorities were never able to locate her missing head or fingers. The investigation revealed that Li had been working at a massage parlor, a detail that eventually helped detectives link her case to a long-time suspect known to law enforcement for a history of violent behavior towards women. Detectives found evidence suggesting the killer had received a service from Li and engaged in sexual activity with her shortly before her death.
Police focused their attention on Robert J. Gross, a man who had been a person of interest in multiple other unsolved homicide and arson cases dating back decades. A search of Gross's home uncovered newspaper clippings related to police investigations, power tools, and a calendar tracking the schedules and menstrual cycles of female workers at various massage parlors. Despite the strong circumstantial evidence and the detectives' conclusion that Gross was responsible for Li's death, prosecutors did not file murder charges against him for her killing, partly because the weapon was never recovered.
Justice was sought through other means when Gross was arrested and tried for stalking women at massage parlors in Lawrence and Johnson County, as well as for firearms violations. In May 2019, a jury found him guilty on eight counts, including stalking and illegal gun possession. During his sentencing hearing in October 2020, federal prosecutors were permitted to present evidence regarding Ying Li's murder to the judge. Arguing that Gross was a dangerous predator, they detailed the gruesome circumstances of Li's death to advocate for a stricter penalty. The judge sentenced Gross to 35 years in federal prison, effectively ensuring the 69-year-old would likely spend the remainder of his life incarcerated, despite never being formally convicted of Li's homicide.
