In the quiet community of Lawrence, Kansas, a tragedy unfolded on the morning of November 16, 2022, ending the life of 22-year-old Ana Marie Jessee. A female, Ana was found deceased from gunshot wounds at Oak Hill Cemetery. The scene, discovered by authorities around 8:45 a.m. following a report of a disturbance with weapons, also included the body of 36-year-old Robert Sowders of Overland Park.
Investigators with the Lawrence Police Department began treating the case as a possible
murder-suicide. A weapon was recovered at the scene, and it was noted that Sowders had been driving a vehicle found there. While the exact nature of the relationship between Jessee and Sowders was not immediately made public, authorities assured the community that there was no ongoing risk to public safety. In the weeks that followed the incident, law enforcement released no new details, and the autopsy reports were suppressed pending the ongoing investigation. No arrests were made, and police were not seeking any additional suspects in connection with the deaths.
There was some public confusion regarding Ana's preferred name. A friend stated that she was gender-fluid and had been using the name Alex and he/they pronouns. However, her mother indicated that she had been going by the name María and had been in her home just 30 minutes before she died. Her obituary formally listed her as Ana Marie Yvonne Jessee. A GoFundMe page established for her funeral expenses shared the heartbreaking detail that she and her unborn child had been taken. Her family and friends remembered her as a bright, quirky, and enthusiastic individual who was a talented violinist. A natural burial service was held for her at Oak Hill Cemetery on November 26, 2022.
