KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the May murder of 25-year-old Zackery Matthews.
Zechariah Hoskins-Ellis, 26, is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.
Police were called around 4:15 p.m. on Friday, May 16, to East 73rd Street and South Benton Avenue on reports of a shooting.
Officers arrived and found Matthews lying on the ground.
He was transported to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries days later.
Court documents revealed an argument between Hoskins-Ellis and Matthews occurred before the shooting.
Matthews’ girlfriend told detectives her boyfriend worked construction and had been working on a house at the scene of the crime.
When Hoskins-Ellis arrived, she said the two had a small spat before her boyfriend decided they should leave.
However, he left his tools at the house, so he returned to grab them.
At that time, the confrontation escalated, with the girlfriend telling detectives Matthews “cursed Hoskins-Ellis out” before she saw Hoskins-Ellis grab a gun from his truck.
After one final exchange, Hoskins-Ellis shot Matthews in the head.
The girlfriend screamed and begged Hoskins-Ellis to call 911, per court documents.
Court documents also stated one of Hoskins-Ellis’ friends exited his car, which was parked nearby, and told Hoskins-Ellis to look under the vehicle next to where the shooting occurred, likely for a shell casing, before the two drove away from the scene.
The friend told the girlfriend he was never there, but she was able to give detectives details about who he was.
Video surveillance from the area captured Hoskins-Ellis arriving and the friend, but the shooting was not recorded.
In the girlfriend’s interview with detectives, she said she knew Hoskins-Ellis had a “very short fuse,” so she wasn’t surprised Hoskins-Ellis shot at Matthews.
Hoskins-Ellis was taken into custody on Friday, June 6, at the downtown probation and parole office.
Before his vehicle was towed, police found two pounds of marijuana, a baggie of cocaine, a baggie of unknown pills, and multiple THC suckers and chocolates, per court documents.
Hoskins-Ellis is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center. He is set to make his first appearance in court Monday afternoon.
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