Jurl Carter, a 24-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on September 16, 2015, in Overland Park, Kansas. An aspiring rapper known as Yunglyfe Carter or Bo Boogy, he had gone to Jim Kilroy's Roxy Bar on 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue, hoping to perform. The events that led to his death began with a confrontation in the parking lot outside the bar.
An altercation occurred between Carter and another local rapper, Dale "Poppa Willo" Willis.
According to testimony, the dispute arose after Carter pulled his car into a parking spot and nearly hit Willis. Following a verbal exchange, Dale Willis punched Carter, knocking him to the ground. After this, Carter got into his vehicle and began to drive away.
As Carter was leaving, multiple shots were fired into his car. He was struck four times in the chest and, despite first aid efforts by police who arrived at the scene, he died from his injuries. The investigation into the shooting led police to identify two brothers as suspects: Dale Willis and his younger brother, James Willis.
Both brothers were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that prosecutors believed Dale Willis had instructed his brother to shoot Carter. Surveillance footage, though not clear enough to definitively identify individuals, captured the initial punch and the subsequent shooting. Witness testimonies were varied, with some identifying James Willis as the shooter and another claiming to have seen Dale Willis fire the shots. A fingerprint belonging to Dale Willis was found on Carter's car.
Ultimately, separate juries found both Dale and James Willis guilty of first-degree murder. Dale Willis was also convicted of misdemeanor battery for punching Carter. Both brothers were sentenced to life in prison, with the judge ordering that they would not be eligible for parole for 50 years. James Willis had argued at his trial that he acted in self-defense, a claim prosecutors refuted as no weapon was found in Carter's vehicle.
