For Immediate Release
Aug. 28, 2022
An Independence woman was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting in July 2021 of her boyfriend, Ryan Wheeler, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
A Jackson County judge sentenced Katie L. Black, dob: 7/22/1995, to 17 years after Black pleaded guilty to Murder 2nd Degree, Armed Criminal Action and Tampering With Electronic Monitoring Equipment. A judge sentenced her to 17 years on the Murder 2nd conviction, 3 years on the Armed Criminal Action conviction and 5 years on the Tampering With Electronic Monitoring Equipment conviction. The first two sentences were set to run consecutive to each other and the third was set to run concurrent to the first, for a total of 20 years.
According to court records, on July 7, 2021, Jackson County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Atherton Sibley Road on a reported shooting. Deputies found the defendant at the scene while emergency responders cared for the victim, who was taken to the hospital. The defendant told detectives she had accidentally shot her boyfriend. But eventually she stated they were arguing when she fired a shot to scare him. Then, she fired a second shot that struck him.
For more information, contact:
Michael Mansur
Director of Communication
Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
Jean Peters Baker, Prosecutor
Work : (816) 881-3812
Mobile : (816) 674-3954
www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com
mmansur@jacksongov.org