KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the March 10 murder of his sister’s ex-boyfriend.
Ke’Montae Phillips, 19, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Richaud Conley, 21.
Conley’s mother was with him at the time of his murder, per a court document.
The mother told police she was aware of her son experiencing ongoing issues with the brother of his ex-girlfriend after he ended the relationship.
About a week before the fatal shooting, the mother and her son were approached by Phillips, who made aggressive comments after talking about the relationship Conley had with his sister going sour, according to the probable cause statement.
A second male also approached with a rifle-style weapon and made aggressive comments.
The mother said nothing happened to her or her son on that day.
But shortly before the March 10 shooting, the mother had her son meet her to walk with her.
She told police he was scared when he arrived and told her he was being followed. She also said she realized her son was concealing a rifle in his pants.
As they were walking, shortly before 5:45 p.m., Phillips exited a vehicle and approached the pair. He then began firing an automatic weapon at the two, the probable cause stated.
Conley shielded his mother as they fled on foot to a nearby field, in the area of East 55th Street and Chestnut Avenue, where she performed CPR on him while others came outside to assist.
Based on witness statements, detectives determined two firearms were used in the shooting: an automatic and a smaller weapon.
Witnesses said they saw another male with Phillips in the suspect vehicle.
Twenty-seven .300 black-out casings and six 9mm casings were found near the scene. One spent .223 casing was believed to have been an accidental shot fired while moving the victim’s weapon, which was not used to return fire.
Footage from multiple sources — witness dash cam, church camera, city cameras and license plate readers — captured portions of the incident.
Detectives noted the suspect vehicle moved strangely before the shooting, an indication he had been following Conley. Phillips was captured on camera with another male at a gas station.
When Phillips was taken into custody for questioning, he told police he did not know anything about the murder “other than it happened” and he denied any involvement.
Even when he was shown photographs of himself at the gas station, he said that the man “looked like his twin,” per a court document.
Detectives then showed him a picture of Conley, whom he identified as the victim, despite detectives not yet revealing that he was the victim. Phillips explained himself by saying he was asked about himself, the other person he was at the gas station with and the victim, so he assumed Conley had to be the victim.
Phillips is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $250,000, cash-only bond.
He is next due in court on March 25 for a bond review hearing.
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