In the late hours of March 31, 2025, a verbal dispute in Kansas City, Missouri, tragically escalated, leading to the death of 52-year-old Eric Stennis. Stennis, a male, was discovered unresponsive with significant injuries in the 3000 block of Mersington Avenue and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The incident was the city's 39th homicide of the year.
According to a witness, Stennis was with Leon J.
Reese and another individual near 31st Street and Mersington Avenue when an argument broke out between Stennis and Reese. The situation intensified, and Reese reportedly approached Stennis with a knife. In an apparent act of self-defense, Stennis allegedly threw a rock at Reese, who then proceeded to stab Stennis in the abdomen. The witness reported hearing Stennis exclaim, 'Damn, you got me!' before he fled into a nearby field with Reese in pursuit.
Law enforcement officers investigating the case later encountered Leon J. Reese, then 55, armed with a knife and standing over a witness. As officers approached, Reese allegedly threw the knife in their direction before being taken into custody. The witness later informed detectives that Reese had threatened her life if she spoke about the stabbing. Reese was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, tampering with a witness, and two counts of armed criminal action.
In August 2025, Leon J. Reese pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement. The remaining charges were expected to be dismissed at his sentencing. In October 2025, Reese was sentenced to a '120 Day Program' at the Missouri Department of Corrections, an alternative to a full prison term that focuses on behavior modification. Successful completion of this program would make him eligible for release on probation, while failure to complete it could result in a four-year prison sentence.
