In the winter of 2025, a young man's life was cut tragically short in Kansas City, Missouri. Alex Molike Benson, a 22-year-old male, was found deceased on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The events of that afternoon unfolded at an apartment complex located in the 6300 block of Manchester Avenue. Responding to a call about a shooting just after 2:30 p.m., police officers arrived to a grim scene.
Inside one of the residences, they discovered Benson, who was unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel were summoned, but it was too late; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial hours of the investigation yielded few immediate answers, with police working to gather evidence and speak with potential witnesses to understand what led to the fatal shooting. The case was quickly identified as a homicide, marking one of three to occur in the city on that same day. Benson was born on May 17, 2002, to Teresa Wille and Cephas Benson in Kansas City. He attended several local schools, including Nashua Elementary, Smith Hale, Ruskin High, and North Kansas City High School, and was active in sports like basketball, football, and boxing during his youth.
As the investigation progressed, a suspect was identified. In April 2025, the Jackson County prosecutor's office announced that Kaveon Cottonham, a 27-year-old from Grandview, had been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Benson's death. Court records revealed a harrowing account from a witness who alleged they saw Cottonham on top of Benson, striking him with his elbows, moments before the shooting. The witness claimed Benson appeared to be unconscious during this assault. According to court documents, Benson had called the witness shortly before the incident, asking them to come and get Cottonham, who was allegedly 'acting weird.'
Following the shooting, Cottonham was found at a QuikTrip in Raytown, also suffering from a gunshot wound. His girlfriend told authorities she had driven him to the apartment complex to pick up his ID and that he claimed to have been shot upon returning to her vehicle. He was taken to a hospital for treatment but reportedly declined to cooperate with the investigation. Cottonham was later taken into custody and is being held without bond.
