KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against two people in Thursday night’s triple homicide.
Lynnsey D. Jones, 35, and Victor Sykes, 43, both face three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of armed criminal action in connection with the deadly shooting in the 4500 block of South Benton Avenue, the prosecutor’s office announced Friday afternoon.
Patrol officers heard gunshots in the area where the three victims were found around 9 p.m.
While investigating, the officers encountered Jones, who appeared to be holding a rifle, according to charging documents. She was taken into custody after attempting to get into a black 2011 Chevrolet Impala.
A gun was found in the vehicle with Jones.
Police also saw a man, later identified as Sykes, walking in the area. He was pursued and caught by another officer, who observed blood on Sykes’ clothes and a cut on his left hand and wrist, according to charging documents.
As the suspects were taken into custody, police discovered a man lying in the street, who had been shot to death.
Upon further investigation, police searched a house down the street with its front door ajar and discovered two women inside who also had been fatally shot.
"The quick thinking and action of the Kansas City police officers who on the scene took these suspects into custody allowed us to get this case charged today," Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said.
Jones admitted to police she had gone to the house to buy narcotics and had smoked marijuana with two women there, according to documents.
She said she saw two unidentified men arguing after leaving the residence and claimed they both had guns.
A witness in the neighborhood who came outside after hearing gunshots said he observed two men in a fistfight. As a female approached, one of the men — later identified as Sykes — yelled, “Shoot him, baby. Shoot him.”
The witness said the woman, later identified as Jones, fired multiple times at the man on the ground. Several shell casings that matched the caliber of rifle found in the car with Jones were found at the scene.
Jones told police she shot all three victims — identified Friday as Larona T. Jones, 42; Larry T. Barnes, 40; and Brandy Jones, 38.
Asked why she shot the three victims, Jones said, “Because I’m a bad person.”
Sykes denied being involved in the shootings and Jones told police he wasn’t there — though she admitted that the Impala she tried to get into belonged to Sykes, who she identified as her boyfriend.
Sykes is currently on parole for murder.
He was convicted in July 1993 of second-degree murder for an August 1992 killing in Wyandotte County, when Sykes was 16 years old.
While in jail, Sykes had various contraband, theft, insubordination and battery charges. He also was convicted in April 2015 of trying to obtain a gun while in jail during a January 2013 incident.
He was paroled to Missouri in October 2018.
Prosecutors have requested a $500,000 cash bond for Sykes and Jones.
