KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 36-year-old Lee’s Summit man was found guilty Thursday in the 2014 murder of his girlfriend in Kansas City, Missouri, prosecutors said.
After a three-day trial, a Clay County jury convicted Marcus Simms of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree tampering in connection with the April 30, 2014, death of Michele Boldridge, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel White said in a news release.
Boldridge, 31, was found dead inside Simms’ apartment in the 7900 block of North Hickory Street after he was spotted running naked around the complex. A short time later, he stole a minivan from the Liberty Bus Barn and was taken into custody after he ran the vehicle off the road, still naked.
Boldridge died from a dislocated spine and multiple sharp force injuries. She also was missing an eye.
Investigators found a human eyeball and Simms' DNA in a car parked in the area.
The jury recommended a 100-year sentence on the armed criminal action charge and a seven-year sentence on the tampering charge. A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
A pre-sentencing court hearing for Simms was set for Dec. 5.
Simms also faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Clay County Jail inmate Brian Parisi in 2017. Parisi died by strangulation in his jail cell, and Simms was later charged with murder.
