On the morning of February 24, 2024, a tragic event unfolded inside a room at the Blue Way Inn & Suites off Kellogg in east Wichita, Kansas, ending the life of 35-year-old Christopher Harrell, a Black male. Just before 9:30 a.m., Wichita Police were dispatched to the motel after receiving a call about a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene in a second-floor suite.
Harrell and a woman, 35-year-old Natisha Phillips, were both found with fatal gunshot wounds.
Inside the room with the victims was a young, unharmed child. Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene, having sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency medical services transported Harrell to a local hospital, but he succumbed to a gunshot wound to the neck. The child was taken into protective custody, and authorities ensured the child received necessary medical and psychological support.
The investigation into the double homicide led police to a 20-year-old suspect, John Griffin. He was arrested and initially faced charges of capital murder, child endangerment, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In October 2024, Griffin pleaded guilty to amended charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter for the deaths of Harrell and Phillips. His sentencing was scheduled for December.
Further investigation revealed more details about the aftermath of the shooting. Another man, Gregory L. Carter, entered the motel room after the shooting and stole the murder weapon, an AR-15 style rifle that belonged to the couple. Surveillance footage captured Carter leaving the room with the rifle concealed in his jacket around the time a motel employee was removing the child from the scene. The weapon was later discovered by police under a mattress in a different room down the hall. For his role, Carter was sentenced to 16 months in prison for theft of the firearm.
