On June 14, 2023, the life of 18-year-old female Jrya Hajai 'Rockie' Cockrell came to a tragic end inside a residence in the 7400 block of College Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. Police officers were dispatched to the home around 8:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon entering the property, law enforcement found Cockrell unresponsive in a back bedroom, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter and declared her deceased at the scene, initiating a homicide investigation into the morning's events.
At the location, officers detained a suspect identified as 26-year-old Ronell K. Garner, who was described as Cockrell’s boyfriend and cohabitant. According to court records, Garner initially claimed that the shooting was an accident, alleging that he and Cockrell were wrestling over a gun when it discharged. He told investigators that he had pointed the weapon at her and pulled the trigger, believing the firearm was unloaded. Despite his assertions of a mistake, detectives gathered witness statements and evidence that painted a more violent picture of their relationship.
Witnesses provided investigators with accounts of a history of abuse, stating that Garner had pointed firearms at Cockrell on multiple previous occasions. One witness detailed an assault that occurred just a week prior to her death, where Garner allegedly threw Cockrell around a room, causing an injury above her eye that required hospital treatment. Another individual told detectives that following the fatal shooting, Garner had come to their home and confessed to killing Cockrell before returning to the scene to meet with police. Based on the evidence collected, Jackson County prosecutors charged Ronell K. Garner with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, and he was held on a $250,000 cash bond.
