Dionne L. Culp was a compassionate and dedicated educator who spent her career helping the children of Kansas City, Missouri. Born on April 15, 1976, the 50-year-old woman was known for her supportive approach and her commitment to seeing students succeed. She worked for Kansas City Public Schools, first as an elementary attendance specialist and later as a Dropout Prevention/Recovery Team Lead at Southeast High School.
In her role, she went beyond automated calls, personally reaching out to families to understand and solve the root causes of absenteeism. She believed in building lines of communication and support rather than being punitive. “I have had parents apologize to their children,” Dionne once said in an interview. “I had a parent who cried because she realized what she was doing was hurting her child, and she just didn't look at it that way.”
On the evening of September 30, 2026, Dionne’s life was cut short in a burst of violence. Around 8:30 p.m., officers from the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to a shooting in the 3600 block of East 73rd Street, in the Noble and Gregory Ridge neighborhood. When they arrived, they found Dionne inside her car, which was parked in front of a house. A bystander was desperately trying to render aid. Paramedics took over life-saving efforts, but Dionne’s injuries were too severe. She had been shot in the head, neck, and face and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation began immediately as homicide detectives and crime scene investigators processed the scene and canvassed the area for witnesses. According to court records, the events leading to the shooting started with an argument. A witness told police she received a call from a man, Armondo S. Stigger, who said he and Dionne had argued and she had dropped him off on the highway. He called back to say she was picking him up, but soon after, he called the witness again and asked her to come to his address. When the witness arrived, she saw Stigger get out of the passenger seat of Dionne’s car and go into his house. He came back out, approached the passenger side of the car again, and the witness heard gunshots and Dionne’s scream, followed by more gunshots. She then saw Stigger get into his own white Chrysler and flee.
Based on the preliminary information, police located Stigger at a nearby home and took him into custody without incident. He was subsequently charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. During questioning by detectives, Stigger was mostly unresponsive but at one point uttered, “She was secretive and manipulative,” when asked about his relationship with Dionne. A judge set his bond at $250,000 cash.
The killing was the 101st homicide in Kansas City that year. While overall homicide numbers were down from the previous year, violence remained a persistent issue in certain neighborhoods. The Jackson County Prosecutor, Melesa Johnson, who had campaigned on aggressively prosecuting violent crime, announced the charges against Stigger.
Funeral services for Dionne were scheduled for late October 2026, with a visitation and funeral service held at Serenity Funeral Home in Kansas City. As of the initial court filings, Stigger was scheduled for a bond review hearing on October 14 and a preliminary hearing on November 2, 2026. The case against him is proceeding through the Jackson County court system. Police asked anyone with information to contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. A reward of up to $25,000 was offered for information submitted through the hotline.
