KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The man accused of a shooting and killing an Independence officer and Jackson County civil process server last week was released from an area hospital and booked into jail on Tuesday.
Larry Acree, 69, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of assault of a special victim in the deaths of Independence police officer Cody Allen and civil process server Drexel Mack.
The shooting happened at a home in the 1100 block of North Elsea Smith and Bundschu roads Thursday as Mack was assisting with serving a Notice to Vacate.
Court records revealed the home where Acree was living had been sold at a delinquent tax sale six months ago.
Acree owed more than $29,000 in delinquent taxes, interest, penalties and fines due to failing to pay taxes from 2019 to 2021.
He allegedly ambushed Mack and two other civil process servers who were at the home to serve the Notice to Vacate.
In announcing the charges, Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker said it had been a year-long eviction process.
Finally on Thursday, Mack and his colleagues cut through a padlock on the fence before knocking on the door of the home.
After receiving no response, they drilled out the lock of the door and entered the home where Acree was waiting inside and opened fire.
The other civil process servers retrieved from the home and called police.
Allen was among the officers who responded to render aid and rescue Mack when Acree opened fire again.
Allen and two other officers were hit by the gunfire. Allen died from injuries sustained in the shooting, but the two other officers were released from a hospital and will recover.
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