On a Friday afternoon, June 11, 2021, the life of 23-year-old LaVincent Perdue, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Junction City, Kansas. A Specialist with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Perdue was at Elite Cuts Barbershop in the 700 block of West 6th Street. An outing with friends to get haircuts turned fatal in the parking lot of the business just before 4 p.m.
A dispute between Perdue and a friend, Willie D.
Powell Jr., escalated into a physical altercation. Following the initial fight, Powell retrieved a gun and shot Perdue multiple times at close range. Perdue was struck in the heart and lungs and collapsed just inside the doorway of the barbershop. Emergency services arrived to find him suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and transported him to Geary Community Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The shooting marked the first homicide in Junction City that year.
In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement began a search for the suspect. The following day, Willie Powell Jr., then 21 years old, turned himself in to the Topeka Police Department. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The investigation revealed that Perdue, Powell, and another friend had gone to the barbershop together, all carrying firearms that were initially left in their vehicle.
Willie Powell Jr. was held on a $1 million bond. During his trial, he claimed self-defense, stating that he was afraid of Perdue after their earlier physical confrontation. However, a Geary County jury deliberated for nearly three hours before returning a guilty verdict on one count of intentional second-degree murder in April 2022. He was subsequently sentenced for the killing of his former friend.
