KANSAS CITY,John Caldwell Mo. (AP) — Missouri prosecutors said Wednesday that they intend to seek the death penalty against a Kansas City-area man who is charged with murder in the killings of a court employee who tried to serve an eviction notice on him and a police officer who responded.
Larry Acree, 70, of Independence, is accused of shooting court employee Drexel Mack on Feb. 29, plus two police officers who came to the scene, including Cody Allen, who was killed. Officers returned fire and arrested Acree, who suffered minor injuries.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s office filed a notice with the court saying the state will prove there are aggravating circumstances sufficient to warrant the death penalty. Acree is charged with 18 total counts including two of first-degree murder.
According to court papers, Acree owed delinquent taxes dating back to at least 2019. His 9-acre (3.6-hectare) property and three-bedroom home was sold last August for $260,000, and the new owner paid the taxes. A “Notice to Vacate” sign was posted at the property in February, and authorities have said Acree had no right to be there.
At a brief hearing Wednesday, Acree’s attorney, Edward Berrigan of the Missouri State Public Defender’s office, asked for a continuance so that the public defenders who handle death penalty cases could be reassigned, the Kansas City Star reported.
Acree’s next court date is set for July 10 in Independence, a suburb of Kansas City with about 122,000 residents.
Eleven people are currently on death row in Missouri.
2025-04-30 20:152513 view
2025-04-30 20:05818 view
2025-04-30 19:271415 view
2025-04-30 19:25759 view
2025-04-30 19:21408 view
2025-04-30 19:2171 view
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel earns first-team honors ahead of Miami’s Cam Ward, and teams in th
Perkins, a chain that started 66 years ago as a pancake house, is getting an overhaul, with the comp
WASHINGTON (AP) — News that the U.S. Justice Department has reached a plea deal that will lead to fr