KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson has been covering the murder of a man in the Northland whose neighbor is accused of the man's murder. A woman reached out to share her experience with the accused after watching Alyssa's coverage. She covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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A murder case in the Northland is headed to trial after a grand jury indicted 42-year-old Jeffrey King on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
King is accused of shooting and killing his next-door neighbor, Chris Wells, on Jan. 12.
KSHB 41 in-depth reporter Alyssa Jackson has been following the story since the shooting.
King had a documented history of complaints against him for allegedly being a nuisance in his neighborhood, retaliating against neighbors who contacted police or KCMO's 311 system.
His ex-girlfriend reached out to Jackson for an exclusive interview after watching coverage of the murder case.
She wanted to remain anonymous, fearing for her safety if King posts bond or wins his case.
"The only way I feel like I can describe it is, it seems like he snapped," the ex-girlfriend said.
King was in a relationship with the woman for two years. She lived in his house for most of the relationship.
The woman described King as a charming and smart entrepreneur when they began dating.
"There were things here and there that slowly set off alarm bells, but they weren’t necessarily louder than the good stuff," she said.
She told Jackson that King was never violent. Physical abuse was not a part of the relationship, but there were signs of mental and verbal abuse.
After a public argument, she said a woman asked her if she needed contact information for a women's shelter. She began making plans to leave King soon after that conversation.
"You sometimes don't necessarily see clearly with something like that until you're out and the fog is lifted — the fog definitely did lift," she said.
Jackson asked her to describe what interactions she witnessed between King and his neighbors.
She said it appears the issues she witnessed years ago escalated.
"I remember seeing Jeff come out and argue with police with a tape measure in his hand, saying, 'My car is allowed to be within however much distance from the curb, and you guys can't do anything about it,'" she said. "The lights in his backyard — storm lights or flood lights — he’d turn them on every night, and it would look like noon in the backyard at 10 o’clock at night."
She remembered how King would react if a neighbor documented a complaint or called the police.
"It made him more upset if someone didn’t come and confront him about it," she said. "So if someone is gonna have a problem and not come to him directly about it, he’ll make the problem worse or create something different to get back at them."
She ended their relationship years ago, but had an emotional reaction when she learned of the charges.
"The tears were just coming down — just thinking about sharing a home with someone capable of doing that and also knowing some of the stuff that went on with his neighbors whenever I was around," she said.
Jackson has been to the neighborhood several times since the shooting. Some neighbors are split on how the police should have handled complaints before the shooting.
According to King's ex-girlfriend, he knew how to toe the line.
"He did not want to back down," she said. "He knew the rules and ordinances, and all the police could do was respond and ask him nicely."
For the past few weeks, she's had moments to reflect on her previous relationship with King — grateful she left when she did.
Jackson asked the ex-girlfriend: "Any message about heeding warning signs or red flags maybe from one woman to another?"
"Make sure you listen to the people around you, that love you, that are saying something is not exactly right," she said. "Hindsight is 20/20, but I feel like the people closest around you can see things, too."
The neighborhood homeowners association is having conversations with KCMO officials, police and the prosecutor's office.
Mayor Quinton Lucas announced there will be a review of the city's response to documented 311 complaints by the neighbors.
King's will be in court Thursday for his arraignment.
He remains in the Clay County jail on a $5 million cash bond.
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