In the quiet town of Wapello, Iowa, the life of 22-year-old Jessie Renae Smith, a Caucasian female, was tragically cut short on January 6, 2006. A graduate of Wapello High School in 2001, Jessie was known as an excellent mother who enjoyed country music, concerts, and shopping. She worked at Musco Lighting in Muscatine and was building a life for herself and her young son.
The events of that winter day unfolded into a horrific murder-suicide.
Jessie was shot and killed by her 25-year-old on-and-off boyfriend, Kirk Massey. The couple had a tumultuous relationship, and neighbors reported they had often fought. Just a couple of weeks prior to the incident, Jessie had moved out of the house they shared, taking their 4-year-old son, Evan Massey, with her.
On that fateful Friday afternoon, police were called to a residence across the street from the local high school shortly after 1 p.m. and found Jessie deceased at the scene. Kirk Massey had not only shot Jessie but had also turned the gun on their son, Evan. The young boy was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics but was dead on arrival.
Following the shootings, Kirk Massey was also transported by air to a Burlington hospital, where he too was pronounced dead, completing the tragic murder-suicide. The incident prompted a lockdown at the nearby school as the devastating events came to light. The investigation quickly identified Massey as the perpetrator, and with his death, the case was closed.
