After escaping 150 miles and confessing to his son, a Missouri man is charged of killing his lover and her family.#Missouri #KansasCityMO #News #Crime
Kansas City, MissouriA 50-year-old man is accused of going on a violent spree in Kansas City, Missouri, where he shot his girlfriend’s dog, killed three members of her family, and almost killed a fourth as she ran from the bloody scene. Investigators are piecing together a terrifying night of violence after authorities called the incident “horrible,” leaving a community terrified.
Armando Navarro Jr., 50, is charged with several offenses, including four counts of armed criminal action and three counts of first-degree murder. Among his victims were his girlfriend, 49-year-old Jodie Hopcus, her mother, 73-year-old Sherri Duncan, and her daughter, 24-year-old Hailey Hopcus. In addition, Navarro is charged with shooting at Jodie’s second daughter, just missing her but removing a lock of her hair as she fled.
Violent Argument Turns Fatal
The nightmare started soon after midnight on Sunday, according to court filings. Police were called to a residence on NW 65th Street after the surviving victim ran to a neighbor’s house and described the terrible experience.
Officers discovered a gory scene inside. The household dog was also shot dead, and the lifeless bodies of Jodie, Hailey, and Sherri were found.
Detectives were given troubling facts by the surviving daughter, who claimed that the commotion started with a violent dispute between Navarro and her mother, which she claimed was typical.
Navarro allegedly refused to go when Jodie pleaded with him to, saying he had nowhere to go. Tensions simmered for almost an hour before becoming lethal.
From Argument to Carnage
Navarro seemed to grab his possessions as the situation momentarily subsided, entering and exiting his room. But a few seconds later, he came out brandishing a pistol and started shooting.
Jodie was hit first, taking a blow to the upper arm. He kept shooting until his gun was empty, bullets flying. Navarro reached for a knife as the panic increased, but Jodie defended her daughter from the assault.
Navarro was far from done. Investigators say he went out and came back with a bigger gun. Then, as though he could commit suicide, he pointed the revolver beneath his own chin. Desperate to get out, Jodie attempted to bolt for the door. Before she could escape, Navarro allegedly shot her in the face.
Her daughter saw her grandmother lying on the floor, still, and saw the horror. As bullets flew past her head, Hailey yelled for her sister to escape, and she did just that. A portion of her hair was torn off by one shot since it was so near.
The survivor hid behind a house outside and listened to Navarro calling her name, probably in an attempt to find her.
The Killer Flees, But Not for Long
Following the massacre, Navarro took off in a 2020 Ford Expedition that had been stolen from one of the victims. Authorities in Dickinson County, Kansas, discovered the car in a ditch a few hours later, around 150 miles distant. Inside was Navarro.
When Kansas City police alerted deputies about a triple homicide suspect on the loose, they detained him instead of stopping to see whether he was hurt. Officers discovered a gun with five spent shot shells inside the car.
Chilling Confession to His Son
Navarro allegedly confessed to the killings over the phone to his son at around two in the morning while he was still on the run. According to reports, he told his son that he had killed them all because he was stuck with problems and had nowhere to go.
After being arrested, Navarro is being held without bond at the Dickinson County Jail. He will be tried for the heinous murders that have shook the Kansas City community when authorities extradite him back to Missouri.
CONNECTED TOPICS: Missouri, Kansas, and crime
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