KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that a teen charged in the April 2024 shooting death of 11-year-old Kourtney Freeman will be tried as an adult.
Re’Mori Roath was arrested and charged in May as a juvenile with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and several misdemeanor assault counts.
Roath went through a certification hearing in juvenile court over the summer. The judge certified Roath to face charges as an adult, leading to Tuesday’s announcement.
On April 10, police responded to a home near Flora Avenue and E. 33rd Street on a reported shooting.
Officers arrived and found an 11-year-old girl, later identified as Kourney Freeman, suffering from a gunshot wound in the entryway of the house. The girl was taken to an area hospital where she died from her injuries.
Detectives investigating the case were able to identify Roath as a suspect in the case.
A search of the residence where Roath lived revealed a Glock 9mm. Ballistics testing confirmed that shell casings found at the scene of the murder were fired from that same weapon.
Detectives also did a test of the DNA on the trigger of the weapon, which matched the DNA of Roath.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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