In early February 2023, the life of 44-year-old female Leigh Margaret Loveleigh Dalton came to a tragic and violent end in Kansas City, Missouri. Born in North Carolina and raised in Kansas City, she was a mother to a twelve-year-old son and was known for her vibrant personality, having worked as an art teacher, store manager, and pharmacy technician. She was a devoted fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and had a unique flair, often noted for her collection of pens and eclectic interests.
Her family and friends grew alarmed when she ceased communication on February 4, 2023, leading to a missing persons report filed shortly thereafter. She had last been seen visiting a residence on Monroe Avenue, where she was reportedly in a relationship that her family described as abusive.
The search for Leigh concluded grimly on the morning of February 20, 2023, when police were dispatched to an abandoned car wash in the 8300 block of Hickman Mills Drive regarding a medical call. There, officers discovered her body hidden in one of the empty bays, wrapped in blankets and obscured from plain view behind debris and a broken fence. An autopsy conducted by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently determined that she had been shot, ruling the death a homicide. Investigators utilized cell phone data to retrace her final movements, which showed her device traveling along the same path as a phone belonging to her ex-boyfriend on the day she vanished.
In April 2023, authorities arrested Donnell E. Buckman, a 44-year-old man identified as the primary suspect. Tactical officers served a search warrant at his home in the 2700 block of Monroe Avenue, where detectives uncovered disturbing forensic evidence. Despite attempts to clean the scene, investigators found blood spots and drag marks on the living room carpet that matched the victim's DNA. Police alleged that the murder occurred inside the residence in early February, after which her body was transported across town and dumped at the vacant business. Buckman was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action and was held on a $250,000 bond. Prosecutors noted that domestic violence reports had been filed previously, including an incident in November 2022 where he was accused of striking her.
