UPDATE, May 30, 2024 | Johnson County District Court Judge Timothy P. McCarthy sentenced Kidwell to 222 months in prison in connection to MeShon Cooper's death.
ORIGINAL REPORT | A man who admitted to detectives he killed a woman after her body was found in his home in 2018 pleaded guilty to her death Thursday.
Ronald Lee Kidwell, 53, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of MeShon Cooper, who was 43 when she was killed.
On July 6, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri, police released a missing person flier for Cooper.
The day she went missing, police located her vehicle with the keys inside near East 7th Street and Myrtle Avenue in KCMO.
Three days later, on July 9, 2018, investigators traced Cooper's phone to Kidwell's home, and after arriving on scene, they reported a heavy odor of bleach.
They executed a warrant on Kidwell's home and located her body.
During an interview with detectives, Kidwell admitted to killing her after repeatedly striking and stabbing her, and claimed self defense.
He also said his anger could be compared to "the exorcist."
Kidwell will be sentenced in Johnson County Court on March 24.
—
