KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man is charged with killing his ex-girlfriend on her 21st birthday.
Rasheed M. Turner, 25, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Around 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, police were called to West 37th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on reports of a shooting.
When officers arrived, the victim, Layla Freeman, was found lying in the street. She succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
Freeman had a temporary protection order against Turner at the time of her death.
Detectives reviewed messages exchanged between the two in the hours before the shooting.
Turner texted Freeman around 11:30 a.m. that he missed her. She texted back that he didn’t wish her a happy birthday when they spoke on the phone, to which he rebuttled by saying he planned to tell her in person so he could give her a gift.
Around 6:30 p.m., Freeman was on a FaceTime call with her cousin discussing their plans for the evening.
Freeman told her Turner had convinced her to meet with him because he had a present for her before hanging up.
About 90 minutes later, Freeman’s cousin called her back. The cousin said Freeman had tears in her eyes during the call and was still with Turner, per court documents.
The cousin texted Freeman at 10:01 p.m., but did not hear back.
When recalling the incident, witnesses told detectives they heard three or four gunshots followed by a woman screaming something like, “Please don’t, no… please,” court documents stated.
Three or four more gunshots were heard after the screams.
Witnesses also saw a man flee the scene in a blue Ford Mustang.
Detectives were able to use license plate readers, city cameras and Facebook posts to confirm the vehicle was linked to Turner.
Searches on the vehicle also led investigators to prior incidents of domestic violence involving Turner.
He is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on no bond.
Turner’s next court appearance, a bond review hearing, is set for Thursday morning.
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