On the morning of May 29, 2016, tragedy struck in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, when 57-year-old Merle Allen Kitchen was found dead inside a residence. Officers from the Kansas City Police Department responded to a reported shooting at approximately 3:30 a.m. in the 300 block of South Lawndale Avenue. Upon their arrival, they discovered Kitchen inside the home suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, marking the city's 39th homicide of the year.
Kitchen was a long-time resident of the area known for his sociable and talkative nature. Friends and family remembered him as a jokester who loved his family deeply. Over the years, he had been employed at various local establishments, including the Kansas City Star, Hereford Steak House, Jack Henry Clothiers, and Pierpont's Restaurant. He had attended Bishop Hogan High School and Penn Valley College, building a network of friends and acquaintances throughout the community who were left grieving by the sudden violence.
Despite the investigation launched by homicide detectives, authorities struggled to identify a suspect immediately following the shooting. At the time of the incident, police stated they had no suspect information to release to the public. Years have passed since the early morning shooting, and the case has remained classified as unsolved. No arrests have been made, and detectives have continued to ask anyone with information to come forward to the TIPS Hotline to help bring closure to Kitchen's family.
