KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Months of detective work by Kansas City, Missouri, police helped build a criminal case against a man wanted in connection with a 2022 homicide.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2022, first responders received a call for help near the intersection of E. 10th Street and Olive Street.
When officers arrived, they were contacted by a woman who was standing outside a Kia Optima. Police located the body of Austin Michael Knowles-DeClements, 25, inside the vehicle.
The woman told detectives she was inside the Kia while Knowles-DeClements was attempting to sell marijuana.
Detectives recovered several pieces of evidence at the scene, including spent shell casings, a cell phone belonging to the victim and a single black and white Nike sandal.
Police were able to access the victim’s phone, where they discovered a phone number that was traced back to Maurice Green.
Eventually, detectives were able to obtain a DNA sample from the Nike sandal, which came back as a match to Green, now 21.
In an interview with detectives in February 2023, Green said he didn’t have any involvement in the homicide but did admit to being at the scene. He also admitted the recovered Nike sandal belonged to him.
On Tuesday, the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Green with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Green is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center without bond.
He was set to make his initial appearance before a Jackson County Circuit Court judge on Wednesday afternoon.
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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
