For Immediate Release
Sept. 22, 2022
A Jackson County jury today convicted a Raytown man in the 2017 murder of Kansas City lawyer Thomas Pickert in front of his residence, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
David Jungerman, dob, 3/03/1938, was convicted of Murder 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.
According to court records, KCPD officers responded at about 8:07 a.m. on Oct. 25, 2017, to a Kansas City residence. They found the victim’s body on the front walk. He had been shot once by a .17 caliber bullet. Before the shooting, the victim had obtained a jury verdict in the amount of $5.75 million against David Jungerman, of Raytown on behalf of his client. The day before the murder, Jungerman was served property liens by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The defendant owns a white van and told the media that no one used his van that day and that he had the only key to that van. A witness – a man walking his dog -- told police that he saw an older white man with grey hair standing behind an idling white van.
The fatal bullet, according to court records, was identified as a .17 caliber round, a relatively rare caliber. On March 8, 2018, a search warrant was obtained for the defendant’s car. Under the passenger seat an unspent .17 caliber bullet was located. A witness told police that he had a conversation with Jungerman in March 2018. During that conversation, Police executed search warrants, according to court records, at the defendant’s home and business. At his business, police found a print out from the Jackson County property tax database. It showed the victim’s home address. An Olympus audio recorder with a recording was recovered. The first part of the recording captured a court hearing that the defendant attended in November 2017. But after the hearing, the recorder continued to run. Later, the defendant talked to his employee about a .17 caliber rifle and about killing the victim.
Jungerman will be sentenced on Nov. 18.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Tim Dollar, Ben Cox and Lauren Whiston prosecuted the case on behalf of the state of Missouri.
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