Free complimentary copy February 12, 2016 • Volume 3, No. 16
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Charges filed in 2012 murder of Harry Stone
By Kris Collins
A Kansas City man was charged with murder Tuesday for the death of a Harry Stone, a Raytown man, who was shot and killed in March 2012. From the eleventh floor of the Jackson County Court House in downtown Kansas City Tuesday morning Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker stated Craig L. Brown, 24, is facing second-degree murder for Stone’s death. Brown was 20 years old at the time of the shooting.
Raytown dept. head finalist for MN city admin
File photo John Benson
By Kris Collins Photos by Kris Collins Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announces charges against Craig Brown for the 2012 shooting and death of 60-year-old Harry Stone, of Raytown.
Craig L. Brown
“Today is about the system seeking justice for Harry Stone,” Baker said. “Today, Craig Brown is charged as a criminal defendant in murder in the second degree for the senseless and brutal slaying of Harry Stone.” Stone, 60, was fatally shot in the early morning of March 13, 2012 near 67th Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard while he was on a routine morning jog, according to police documents. At an area hospital Stone gave a physician a dying declaration, a description of the suspects as “two black males with dreads,” just before he was sedated. Stone died in surgery. At the time of Stone’s death, police recovered ballistics evidence at the scene. On Feb. 1, 2015, court documents state, police recovered the weapon used to kill Stone. Brown was in a vehicle crash and arrested on an outside warrant, which led police to the recovery of a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol found in the glove box of the vehicle, police doc-
uments state. The weapon was test fired by the Kansas City police and it was found to have a match with the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, commonly called NIBIN among law enforcement. Baker said the investigation, a cooperative effort between the Kansas City Police Department, the Raytown Police Department and the U.S.Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was somewhat piecemeal from February 2015 to the present. She said the recovery of the weapon used in the crime was crucial, and witness testimony filled in the gaps for police. “But for the Raytown Police Department we would not be standing here,” Baker said. “Chief (Jim) Lynch is standing beside me today, and I am very grateful for the work and dedication of his department that continued to work this case. “It was the work of ATF and the NIBIN system that really gave us the break we were looking for in this case,” she added. “The ballistics in the case, as you may now
know, were critical in getting us here.” Police were able to track down the party that sold the gun to Brown, and confirmed Brown had been driving the suspect vehicle during the time Stone was killed, police documents state. The owner of the vehicle, a dark blue Pontiac Grand Prix, positively identified the vehicle as her property in a surveillance video taken from a gas station near the crime scene. The witness said Brown often drove the vehicle. The vehicle was found at an automobile business in Kingsville in a queue to be crushed. It was taken to the Raytown Police Department as evidence. Other witnesses told police Brown attempted to sell the gun back to the seller because it was “hot,” meaning it had been used to commit a crime, police documents state. Bobbie Stone, Harry’s Stone’s wife, said she was not able to speak publicly about the incident right after it happened, but she commented to the press Tuesday by her daugh-
ter’s side. “Three-plus years ago, on a day very much like today and a press conference very much like this, my daughter, Susan Lee, stood before you and pleaded for justice for her father, pleaded that someone would come forward, that someone would give a tip that would lead to the apprehension of the person or persons who committed this crime and stole a wonderful man from us and his community,” Bobbie Stone said. … “Forty-one years ago last month I met Harry Stone. He became my best friend, then he became my husband. And on the morning of May 13, 2012, I kissed him goodbye as he left for his run for what I did not know at that time was the very last time, and I mean very last time. Because my husband’s body was considered a crime scene, even in death I was unable to touch him, to say goodbye, to kiss him again. I had to do that at the distance of three feet. I understand the necessity of that, but it still hurts my heart
Benson continued on page 2
Raytown School District purchases Wellness Center for $1.8M
Charges continued on page 3
2 dead after Raytown apartment fire, ATF, Raytown Fire continue investigation
By Kris Collins The Raytown Fire Protection District, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive continue to investigate a fire at that started at Somerset Village Apartments at approximately 2:20 a.m. Sunday morning and killed a 4-year-old boy and severely burned his grandmother, who later died from her injuries. Authorities say 4-year-old Jeremiah Roberts was killed in the fire. It’s unclear if he died as a result of the fire or smoke inhalation. His grandmother, 59-year-old Cherri Roberts, died Monday night, according to the Raytown Fire Protection District. Jeremiah’s older brother Jacob, 8, survived the fire. Investigators said a fire safety video played at school may have saved his life. Jabin Roberts, an 18-monthold, remains in critical condition at Mercy Children’s Hospital. Authorities report up to 70 percent of his body is severely burned. ATF was called to assist in the investigation after it was determined by Raytown fire and the state fire marshal that the investigation required more resources than either
John Benson, city of Raytown director of development and public affairs, is one of four finalists for the city administrator job in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Mike Hartwell, director of human resources for Fergus Falls, said Benson was among 10 initial applicants to vie for the job. The other finalists are Andrew Bremseth, city administrator of Volga, South Dakota; Michael Brethorst, city administrator of Melrose, Minnesota;
File photo The Raytown C-II School District Board of Education approved the purchase of the Raytown Schools Wellness Center from Monopoly Acquisitions LLC for $1.8 million during Monday evening’s meeting.
By Kris Collins
Photos courtesy Raytown Fire Protection District A fire that broke out at Somerset Village Apartments in the early morning hours Sunday killed a 5-year-old boy and injured a 59-year-old woman who later died from her injuries
entity had at its disposal. As of press time Wednesday, ATF Public Information Officer John Ham said investigators con-
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tinue to remove items from the home via crane to determine the cause of the fire. He said nothing in the investigation so far has led au-
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thorities to believe the fire’s origin involves foul play. “We had a good day as far as be-
Fire continued on page 3
The Raytown C-II School District Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night at its regular meeting to approve the purchase of the Raytown Schools Wellness Center for $1.85 million. The contract states the purchase from Monopoly Acquisitions LLC shall be completed by Feb. 28. The district planned to purchase the wellness center from Chris Payne, of Monopoly Acquisitions, shortly after Payne and the district cooperatively planned the renovation of the building, the former YMCA. District Assistant Superintendent Travis Hux said the building had an estimated worth of approximately $6 million when it was build in the 1990s. The district also purchased a storage warehouse from Monopoly Acquisitions, by board approval that same evening, for $775,000. The board executed a $4.6 million lease agreement with Commerce Bank the same evening to fund the deal for the wellness center and warehouse. The district
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