Ivan J Miller

In the early hours of a late November morning in 2010, the quiet of a Kansas City neighborhood was broken by the sound of gunshots. A few hours later, as the city began to stir, a resident taking a walk discovered a grim scene in a grassy area near 44th Street and Myrtle Avenue. There, they found the body of 29-year-old Ivan J. Miller of Kansas City.

The police were called to the scene at approximately 8 a.m., and it was soon determined that Miller had been shot to death. His death was of ...