For Immediate Release

Feb. 17, 2021

Nearly four years after the fatal shooting, murder charges are filed in the homicide of 3-year-old Marcus Haislip III who was shot in May 2017 near 54th and Park, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

Derrick D. Wren Jr., dob: 9/16/1992, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two counts of Assault 1st Degree.*

"I hope our community will see how many in law enforcement have worked over the last three-plus years to bring justice and to bring charges against the defendant," Prosecutor Baker stated. "We never gave up in our efforts.

"I especially want to thank our partners at the ATF and the Kansas City Police Department," Baker added. "Together, they've followed the leads and developed the evidence we need to obtain charges."

According to court records, Kansas City police responding on May 12, 2017 to shots fired in the area of 54th and Brooklyn. Moments later, they received information that a vehicle had arrived at Research Medical Center with three gunshot victims, one confirmed deceased. The deceased victim was Marcus Haislip III, 3 years old (dob: 9/10/2013. He was shot in his car seat in a vehicle. Multiple people advised that they saw a man fire his weapon. He wore a red hooded sweatshirt and fired a long gun from the porch on Park Avenue. A witness said the description sounded like Derrick D. Wren Jr. He also had been seen with a long gun like the one described. Multiple shell casings were recovered at the crime scene as well as a Styrofoam cup.

In 2019, the Missouri Highway Patrol notified detectives that DNA from the Styrofoam cup matched the defendant, according to court records. In September and November of 2020, new witnesses told detectives that the defendant had confessed to fatally shooting the 3-year-old Haislip III. Wren said he used a 7.62 mm pistol with a 30 to 50-round clip.

Prosecutors requested a bond of $250,000 cash. The defendant is currently in federal custody and was served this morning with a warrant for his arrest in this case.

For more information, contact:

Michael Mansur

Director of Communication

Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office

Jean Peters Baker, Prosecutor

Work   : (816) 881-3812

Mobile: (816) 674-3954

mmansur@jacksongov.org

http://jacksoncountyprosecutor.com

*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded.