KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man who was charged back in December 2025 in the shooting death of 18-year-old Elayjah Murray is now in custody, the Independence Police Department announced Monday.
Phillips was wanted in Jackson County for multiple felony warrants, including first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.
Early Monday morning, deputies and task force officers from the Independence Police Department with the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force conducted an enforcement operation in the area of U.S. 40 Highway and Sterling Avenue.
At about 2 a.m., authorities made contact with Phillips at a residence in the area. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to IPD Headquarters for further investigation, according to the U.S. Marshals.
Phillips, who was an assistant wrestling coach at Raytown South High School from 2023 to 2025, was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.
The case was initially filed on Dec. 3, 2025, under seal. It was unsealed in February as law enforcement needed the community's help in finding Phillips.
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Surveillance video from the intersection of 23rd Street and Liberty in Independence captured the shooting, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. on Nov. 28.
Murray's girlfriend told investigators the night of Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving) into Nov. 28 started with her, her cousin, Murray and Phillips visiting multiple family locations.
Just before 3 a.m., Phillips abruptly said he had to take everyone home.
Phillips dropped off the cousin before heading toward Independence to take Murray home.
When he arrived, Murray's girlfriend got out of the vehicle to open the door for Murray to exit. Phillips then shot Murray.
The girlfriend told investigators Phillips said he was told to kill her, and he refused to go to a hospital. She also revealed that Phillips threatened she would be next if she did not get back in the car.
After Phillips dropped her off, she called police.
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Murray's family notified KCMO police in the early morning on Nov. 28 that she was missing.
Murray's body was found the next day near East 87th Street and Blue River Road in south Kansas City, Missouri.
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