In Coffeyville, Kansas, on May 16, 2022, the life of 47-year-old Melvin Simpson Jr., a Black male, was tragically cut short. His body was discovered inside a residence at 1301 W. 7th St. after authorities received a crucial tip. The information didn't come from a local source, but rather from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, which had received a crime line tip suggesting a deceased person could be found at that specific address.
Acting on this information, officers from the
Coffeyville Police Department went to the duplex and began surveillance. They observed a man, later identified as 61-year-old David A. Jackson of Coffeyville, exit the home. After briefly questioning Jackson, officers entered the residence. Inside, they found Melvin Simpson Jr., who had been fatally shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation that followed involved the Coffeyville Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation which was asked to assist at around 1 p.m. that day.
Initially, David A. Jackson was arrested and detained on unrelated charges. However, the investigation into Simpson's death continued. A week later, on May 23, 2022, Jackson was formally charged in connection with the homicide. While already in custody at the Montgomery County Jail, he was arrested for suspected first-degree murder. The charges against him also included criminal possession of a weapon, felony obstruction of justice, and unlawful discharge of a weapon.
Melvin, who was known to family and friends as "Mel Jr.," was born on May 17, 1974, and was the oldest son of Melvin James Simpson Sr. and Sandra K. Simpson. He grew up in Independence, Kansas, where he graduated from high school before attending several colleges. He was a father and had plans to start a non-profit organization called "2nd Chance Ministries" and a mobile barbershop. His death was ruled a homicide, a result of the gun violence that took place inside the Coffeyville home.
