Current:Home > ContactKansas cold case detectives connect two 1990s killings to the same suspect-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Kansas cold case detectives connect two 1990s killings to the same suspect
lotradecoin account View Date:2024-12-25 21:30:51
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been charged with two counts of murder after detectives in a newly formed cold case unit connected him to the deaths of two women nearly three decades ago.
DNA evidence led to the arrest of 52-year-old Gary Dion Davis, Kansas City Police Chief Karl Oakman and Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Wednesday. Davis is jailed on a $500,000 bond for two counts of second-degree murder, the Kansas City Star reported.
Davis was a long-haul truck driver in the 1990s. He is accused of killing 26-year-old Christina King, who was found beaten to death behind an abandoned building on Christmas Day in 1996. He also is charged with fatally stabbing Pearl Barnes, whose body was found in a vacant house a month earlier.
Davis does not yet have a listed attorney. Two phone numbers listed for him were no longer in service, and a third had a full mailbox and wasn’t accepting messages on Thursday.
The circumstances behind the deaths are still being investigated, but police said they do not believe that Davis knew either of the women. Detectives are trying to determine if Davis could be responsible for other crimes.
The Kansas City Kansas Police Department’s cold case unit began operation in January 2022 and consists of three full-time detectives. Oakman said the department has “a lot of unsolved cases” and already had identified suspects in 11 homicide cases.
“So, it may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. In fact, it may not be this year. But there’s gonna be a time,” Oakman said. “You may be in a drive-thru line. You may be at the grocery store. We’re gonna eventually get you.”
Authorities also announced that two other unrelated cases were recently solved.
A 66-year-old inmate was charged in May after he confessed to killing 16-year-old Dion Estell, who was found shot to death in a creek bed in July 1997. The inmate, who was convicted of a 1998 killing and is now in hospice care, confessed to cold case detectives because he wanted closure for Estell’s family.
The oldest case cleared involved the death of an hours-old baby girl found in a dumpster behind an apartment complex in November 1976. DNA evidence led detectives to the mother of the child in 2022.
The woman accused her grandmother of taking the baby away shortly after she gave birth. The grandmother, who has since died, was identified as the primary suspect.
veryGood! (42)
Related
- Conservative are pushing a ‘parental rights’ agenda in Florida school board races. But will it work?
- James Earl Jones, Star Wars and The Lion King Voice Actor, Dead at 93
- Bachelorette’s Jenn Tran and Jonathon Johnson Address Relationship Speculation
- 4 people killed after plane crashes in Vermont woods; officials use drone to find aircraft
- Head of Theodore Roosevelt National Park departs North Dakota job
- Highlights as Bill Belichick makes 'Manningcast' debut during Jets vs. 49ers MNF game
- Take 50% Off a Peter Thomas Roth Serum That Instantly Tightens and Lifts Skin & More Sephora Deals
- Prince William Addresses Kate Middleton's Health After She Completes Chemotherapy
- Efforts to return remains, artifacts to US tribes get $3 million in funding
- Southwest Airlines under pressure from a big shareholder shakes up its board
Ranking
- Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
- Commanders release kicker Cade York after two misses in season opener
- 'Scared everywhere': Apalachee survivors grapple with school shooting's toll
- Shilo Sanders, Colorado safety and Deion Sanders' son, undergoes forearm surgery
- US shoppers sharply boosted spending at retailers in July despite higher prices
- Why Jenn Tran Thinks Devin Strader Was a “Bit of a Jackass Amid Maria Georgas Drama
- James Earl Jones, acclaimed 'Field of Dreams' actor and voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93
- Diddy ordered to pay $100M in default judgment for alleged sexual assault
Recommendation
-
Detroit judge orders sleepy teenage girl on field trip to be handcuffed, threatens jail
-
'American Ninja Warrior' Vance Walker on grueling back-to-back victories: 'So difficult'
-
Peter Frampton finally finds Rock & Roll Hall of Fame doors open to him
-
Georgia police clerk charged with stealing from her own department after money goes missing
-
Collin Gosselin claims he was discharged from Marines due to institutionalization by mom Kate
-
Banana Republic’s Outlet Has Luxury Fall Staples Under $60, Plus Tops & Sweaters up to 70% off Right Now
-
Powerball winning numbers for September 9: Jackpot rises to $121 million
-
Delaware primary to decide governor’s contest and could pave the path for US House history