KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Back in May, Kansas City police announced that four homicides on or near Indian Creek Trail shared "similarities." On Tuesday, police announced a suspect was in custody. He was charged in one of the Indian Creek murders and in the shooting death of a fifth person.
Here is a breakdown of everything we know about the investigation.
August 19, 2016
- 55-year-old John Palmer was found dead near Bannister Road and Lydia Avenue near Indian Creek Trail.
- Palmer was shot several times in the back.
- Two 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene and a red shirt with two sources of DNA — one that belonged to Palmer and another that belonged to an unknown person.
February 27, 2017
- 67-year-old David Lenox was found dead at Willow Creek Apartments on Wornall Road.
- Officials said someone shot him as he was walking his dog, Snickers.
- A single Blazer .380 caliber spent shell casing was found lying underneath Lenox. Experts later determined that the shell casing could have been fired from a 9 mm handgun.
April 11, 2017
- The body of 57-year-old Timothy Rice was discovered in Minor Park.
- He was found with multiple gunshot wounds in one of the park's shelters.
- Several 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene.
May 18, 2017
- Michael Darby was found dead near Indian Creek Trail.
- He died from a single gunshot to the back of the head.
- Darby was believed to be walking his two dogs when he was killed.
May 19, 2017
- KCPD officials announce they are "aware of similarities" between four homicides on or near Indian Creek Trail.
- All four of the victims were white males between the ages of 54-67. Three of the men were walking their dogs along the trail or close to it, officials said.
- At the time, police said there was no physical evidence connecting the cases.
August 13, 2017
- Steve Gibbons was found dead at 1146 E. 67th St.
- He was shot in the back of the head.
- Surveillance footage showed a man following Gibbons off of KCATA bus. The man was then spotted running away from the area where Gibbons was later found dead.
August 17, 2017
- Police spotted a man that appeared similar to the man spotted in the surveillance footage from Gibbons's murder.
- Police matched DNA from a cigarette butt the man was smoking to that found on a Brisk Iced Tea bottle discovered at the scene of Gibbons's murder.
- Police say the cigarette belonged to 22-year-old Fredrick D. Scott of Kansas City, Missouri.
- Scott was arrested and interrogated, during which he admitted to killing Gibbons and Palmer, according to court documents.
- During a search of Scott's home, officials found a 9 mm handgun, which Scott allegedly said he "accidentally" shot Gibbons with.
- Officials also matched Scott's DNA with evidence found at the scene of Palmer's death.
- Scott also said he reported the gun used in Gibbons's shooting as stolen in order to distance himself from the weapon.
- He also said he has reported four 9 mm handguns stolen in the past.
August 28, 2017
- Scott is charged in the death of Gibbons and Palmer.
- Officials say he is a suspect in the other three killings but there isn't enough evidence to charge him.
