KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man is charged with second-degree murder and several other felonies for the January 10, 2025, shooting death of well-known Northland sportswriter Dennis Sharkey, Jr.
Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd announced charges on Wednesday against Ruslan Huseynov in the Sharkey murder.
Huseynov, in addition to the murder charge, is also charged in Platte County Court with two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
He is being held without bond.
Sharkey was driving back home from covering high school sports when police found his body inside his 2019 Chevrolet Spark at the bottom of an embankment off Interstate 29 near Northwest 72nd Street. He was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.
Sharkey's family spoke with KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne earlier this year, asking for answers and justice.
"You don't think it can be somebody you love and somebody so close to you, but it can happen to anybody," Sadie Grigsby said during a memorial in January.
It's been a difficult five months for Sharkey's family and the several agencies investigating his murder. The Platte County Sheriff's Office, the Kansas City Metro Squad, the Kansas City Police Department and crime laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the FBI all assisted in the investigation.
"Tragedy does not begin to describe what this family has had to endure," Platte County Sheriff Erik Holland said.
Investigators revealed during a press conference on Wednesday that the key to finding suspect Ruslan Huseynov and his possible conviction is cell phones and surveillance footage.
"I can't say enough about the dogged determination of investigators who refused to give up on this case," Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said.
A 911 call from two witnesses also helped investigators determine what happened on that busy stretch of highway.
According to a court document, a boyfriend and girlfriend were in a car that entered southbound I-29 at Northwest Barry Road.
They told officers the victim and suspect's vehicles stopped in the number three lane, according to the court document. The witnesses were also in the No. 3 lane and had to stop behind the other two cars.
The couple told investigators they saw the driver, later identified as Huseynov, get out of his car with a gun. They heard a gunshot as they continued driving south on the interstate and sped away from the area.
"We actually still don't know what really led up to this shooting," Zahnd said. "It certainly has all the hallmarks of a road rage case."
Detectives used data from a cell phone tower to track who was driving southbound on I-29 around the time of Sharkey's death.
Based on time frame records, investigators found "several data sets from Verizon which were highly suspicious... based on their plotted locations and time stamps." The data points were mapped along the path Sharkey's shooter allegedly took before and after his death.
Huseynov's phone matched the data path found by investigators.
Police arrested Huseynov on June 10 for an "unrelated matter." During questioning, he confirmed his cell phone number.
"[The cybersecurity team] spent hours going through tedious amounts of data," Sheriff Holland said. "Without their work, we would not be here today."
Huseynov denied owning a gun during the police's questioning in June. Detectives later found a gun inside Huseynov's bedroom that matched the 9mm shell casings found at the scene and Sharkey's bullet wound.
Further testing on the handgun found that it matched the one used to kill Sharkey.
Huseynov is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
"We'll do everything we can in Platte County to hold that man responsible for what he did to Dennis Sharkey," Zahnd said.
If convicted, Huseynov faces up to life in prison and at least three years for armed criminal action.
"The crimes against him are some of the most serious in Missouri," Zahnd said.
KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne spoke with Shakey's family off-camera on Wednesday. They said they were relieved to hear of Huseynov's arrest. They also explained they are amazed with law enforcement's diligence and said investigators have covered the case like Dennis would have covered it.
KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability and solutions. Share your story with Isabella.
—
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.
