For Immediate Release

Jan. 12, 2017

As a result of a KC NoVA enforcement, two KC men face murder charges in January 2016 fatal shooting of Emorye Spriggs, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

Jathaniel M. Odum, dob: 9/5/1995, and James H. Francis Jr., 5/08/1997, face Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.*

Kansas City police responded to the 8600 block of E. 114th Terrace in Kansas City in the late afternoon of Jan. 6, 2016, anod found Emorye M. Spriggs, dob: 7/21/1995, lying on the curb, suffering from gunshot wounds. He told first-responders he had been in the a Saturn vehicle prior to being shot. Witnesses told police someone in the rear of  a red vehicle shot the victim while he was inside the vehicle. One man got out of the vehicle and approached the front passenger door and shot the victim another time. Then he dragged the vicitm from the vehicle. Another witness told police that the victim told her that "JJ and his little brother" shot him. JJ was identified by police as Odum and Francis, a witness told police, was the person that Odum calls his brother. Cell phone records placed Odum's cell phone in the area of the homicide about the time of the shooting. A witness said Francis had a red vehicle at the time of the shooting. Blood from the victim was found to be the vicitm's blood.

Prosecutors have requested bonds of $250,000 for each defendant.

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.