Fredrick Scott, 22, charged in two south Kansas City homicides
Fredrick D. Scott, 23, has been charged in two south Kansas City homicides and is a suspect in other homicides over the last year in the vicinity of popular trails in south Kansas City, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
Scott faces two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.*
According to court records filed today, Kansas City police detectives connected the defendant to the Aug. 13, 2017, fatal shooting of Steven Gibbons, age 57. Gibbons, was shot and killed Aug. 13 in the 1100 block of East 67th Street. He was not originally connected to the trailside murders.
Police were able to solve the murder from surveillance video that showed Gibbons on a bus and Scott following Gibbons. Scott was drinking from an iced tea bottle. Police located the apparent suspect in the video and asked for his identification. They also collected a cigarette butt he was observed smoking. DNA from the cigarette and the iced tea matched.
That DNA also matched DNA from the fatal shooting of John Palmer, who was found Aug. 19, 2016, on the Indian Creek Trail near Bannister Road and Lydia. Scott told police he shot Palmer and dragged the victim’s body away from the trail.
At a press conference today, Baker asked for the community’s help with information regarding Scott and his role in three other homicides in the same vicinity along the popular trails. Anyone with information about Scott, his use of guns or the three homicides should contact the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.
*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded.