Kcoree Warren, an African American father from Ferguson, Missouri, was shot and killed after reporting the rape of his 15-year-old daughter and rejecting a $12,000 bribe to stay quiet. Three men are now facing charges in connection with his murder.
Police found Warren dead inside his home on Bayview Drive on July 8. Investigators later linked his killing to an earlier rape case involving his daughter. Prosecutors said Warren was targeted because he planned to testify against 32-year-old Lavor Harmon, the man accused of assaulting his child.
According to KSDK, court documents show Harmon met the teenager in March while she was walking home from her school bus. He allegedly picked her up, took her shopping, and then sexually assaulted her. Warren reported the assault to police in May, prompting Harmon’s sister, Lavonda, and another man to visit his home days later. They offered him $12,000 to drop the case, but he refused.
Weeks after the bribe attempt, Warren was shot through the glass door of his home by 31-year-old Andrew Klaus, whom prosecutors described as an associate of Harmon and his relatives, Anthony L. Young and Anthony D. Young. Klaus was found dead hours later, and the white Kia seen leaving the scene was found burned.
Harmon, Anthony L. Young, and Anthony D. Young were indicted on six charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Harmon also faces charges of statutory rape and sodomy. Investigators believe the three men conspired to silence Warren and later killed Klaus to destroy evidence.
Authorities said the case is still under investigation and could later be treated as a murder-for-hire scheme. St. Louis County prosecutors thanked several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, for their help in solving the case.
Neighbors described Warren as a caring father and a kind neighbor. “He was a really good dad, I couldn’t ask for a better neighbor. He was a super nice guy, took care of his kids, and took care of his house,” said Hugh Dubberly, who lives nearby.
Moreover, he recalled hearing gunshots that night and seeing Warren’s children crying outside after the attack. The family has not returned to their home since the tragedy.
SOURCE: blacknews.com