For Immediate Release
Jan. 5, 2017
A Kansas City man has been charged in the Christmas Eve 2017 fatal beating death of Darren Kirk, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
James E. Johnson, dob: 9/19/1979, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action.*
According to court records filed today, Kansas City police responded early on Christmas 2017 to a residence in the 3300 block of E. 20th Street and were told that a person had died. They found the victim, later identified as Darren Kirk, at the base of some steps. The Jackson County Medial Examiner determined that Kirk died of blunt force trauma. Johnson told Kansas City police detectives that he initially had claimed he was not home at the time of the homicide, but he later admitted he beat the victim for more than an hour with a baseball bat. He left the scene and hid the bat and provided false statements to the police.
Prosecutors requested a bond of $200,000 cash.
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
mmansur@jacksongov.org
http://jacksoncountyprosecutor.com
*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded.