Mother wants answers in son’s death after KCPD closes homicide investigation

By Isabella Ledonne

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — A grieving mother is demanding answers and justice in the wake of her son’s death.

Jonathan Rodgers was killed in October 2024 near East 6th Street and Independence Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.

Rodgers suffered blunt force trauma and died at a hospital.

Detectives initially investigated the case as a homicide, but the case has since been closed. No suspects have been identified.

The KSHB 41 I-Team obtained documents from the case to go in-depth about why no charges have been filed.

Rodgers’ birthday was Monday. He would have been 36 years old.

Instead of a party, his friends and family held a birthday vigil almost a year after his death.

“My son was a living human being,” Zelpha Rodgers, his mother, told KSHB 41. “He had three children.”

Zelpha will never forget the night of October 17th, 2024.

“He was stabbed, beaten with a two-by-four, pistol-whipped and tasered,” Zelpha said.

Rodgers would periodically stay at a homeless encampment near Family Dollar with his wife.

But on October 17th, that arrangement was supposed to end.

“That afternoon, he said he was done,” Zelpha said. “He [was] ready to come home permanently.”

On the night of his death, Zelpha went to pick Rodgers up. When he didn’t meet her back at the car near Family Dollar, Zelpha had to leave to take care of her grandchildren.

On the night of his death, Zelpha went to pick Rodgers up. When he didn’t meet her back at the car near Family Dollar, Zelpha had to leave to take care of her grandchildren.

“We understand the family’s concerns,” the police department said in a statement to KSHB 41 News. “However, the cause of death was ruled by the medical examiner as inconclusive. As such, the prosecutor’s office declined to file charges in this matter. Some combination of KCPD detectives, prosecutors and medical examiners have met with the family and explained this at least three different times since May.”

KCPD said the homicide unit completed a full and thorough investigation and shared all investigative findings with prosecutors. The decision to close the case came in conjunction with the prosecutor’s office declining to file charges.

“Prosecutors must prove every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, which means the evidence must be so strong that any reasonable person would be convinced of guilt. In this case, prosecutors needed to prove the defendant’s actions directly caused Mr. Rodgers’ death,” a spokesperson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “However, the Medical Examiner determined the death was inconclusive due to the victim’s severe heart disease and high methamphetamine levels at the time. As a result, prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s assault, and not the heart disease or drug use, was what killed Mr. Rodgers. While we understand how devastating this is for the family, we must follow the state law’s requirements and be firmly convinced of guilt. Prosecutor Johnson and our office’s other senior attorneys have met with Mr. Rodgers’ family on several occasions to explain the decision and the law. We wish there could have been a different outcome and that Mr. Rodgers could be with the rest of his family today.”

But Zelpha is still determined to get justice for her son.

“I don’t know if they just don’t want to deal with it because they think he’s another poor person, no money, a drug addict, a homeless person,” Zelpha said. “I’m not going to back down, I’m not going to stop.”

KSHB 41 News reached out to the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office multiple times for clarification and a comment on the report, but did not receive a response by the time of this report.

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