KC Man Charged with Kidnapping Resulting in Death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with the kidnapping resulting in death of a man whose body was discovered alongside the road earlier this week.

Raynal King, 25, of Kansas City, was charged with kidnapping resulting in death in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. King remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, King participated in the kidnapping resulting in death of a man identified in court documents as J.P. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016. J.P.'s body was found along the roadway at 13705 Holmes Road in Kansas City, Mo.  An examination of the victim determined that he had been shot and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined that J.P. was last known to be driving his black Jeep Patriot from a hospital, where he had been caring for a family member, towards his home sometime between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. that day. Shortly after leaving the hospital, J.P. called his wife and asked her for the PIN to their debit card.

There were several failed attempts to use J.P.'s debit card at different ATMs that morning. Investigators obtained surveillance video from one of the ATMs that allegedly showed King driving J.P.'s vehicle shortly after 6 a.m. J.P. was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, according to the affidavit, with his arms straight out and palms on the dashboard. An unidentified person was in the back seat. King was also seen (driving a different vehicle) in surveillance video at the 7-Eleven at 8901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo., the affidavit says, where three more failed attempts had been made to use the debit card at an ATM inside the about an hour later.

King was identified and located on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. A Kansas City, Mo., police officer conducted a traffic stop and detained King.

King told investigators that a man identified in court documents as "Suspect #2" was driving the victim's vehicle when he arrived at King's house earlier that morning. King, who was sitting on his front porch, walked up to the vehicle and saw J.P. sitting in the front passenger seat with his hands on the dashboard. King told investigators that Suspect #2 was holding a handgun in his hand near his lap, and that it was pointed towards King. He allegedly told King he needed his help, and King got into the driver's seat while Suspect #2 got into the back seat. King drove the vehicle to various locations, the affidavit says, where he tried to use J.P.'s debit card to access an ATM.

At one point, according to the affidavit, King attempted to withdraw money from the ATM at Mazuma Credit Union at 9300 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Mo., using the victim's debit card.  King attempted more than once to obtain money from the ATM and at some point, King told investigators, Suspect #2 shot J.P.

According to the affidavit, King told investigators that Suspect #2 began talking about where they should drop off J.P., who remained conscious after having been shot. King told investigators that J.P. attempted to jump out of the vehicle, at which time, King said, Suspect #2 fired the handgun at J.P.

King slowed down the vehicle after J.P. jumped out; he looked in the rear view mirror and saw J.P. lying in the street. Suspect #2 told King to keep driving and not to stop, the affidavit says, and King continued driving back to his residence.

When King and Suspect #2 arrived back at King's residence, they got into King's silver Pontiac Grand Prix and drove to the 7-11 at 89th and Wornall, parked at a gas pump, and King went in to the store and attempted again to use the victim's debit card at the ATM without success.

Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.