For Immediate Release
Aug. 4, 2017
A convicted child murder and his attorney have been criminally charged in a Jackson County jail contraband investigation, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
Ce-Antonyo D. Kennedy, dob: 8/16/1997, faces a Class B felony count of possessing a phone charger, a chord that could be used to strangle another inmate or jail personnel, and two misdemeanor counts of Delivering or Concealing Prohibited Articles on Jail Premises, while public defender Julianne Leigh Colby, dob: 9/25/1977, faces one misdemeanor count of Delivering or Concealing Prohibited Articles on Jail Premises.*
According to court records filed late Thursday, Kennedy knowingly possessed a personal cell phone that is prohibited in the Jackson County Detention Center between Feb. 2 and Feb. 20, 2017, as well as later in April. He also in April possessed a cell phone charger. A search of the cell phone revealed text messages from and to the illegal, contraband cell phone in Kennedy's possession. Some of these texts came from or went to Colby, a member of his defense team in his murder case. Thirty-three times between Jan. 6, 2017, and April 10, 2017, Colby visited Kennedy at the jail. The U.S. Attorney's office and the FBI reviewed these messaged to redact any privileged information. In addition, jail staff had observed troubling behavior between the two defendants. Colby was sending text messages to the defendant while he was incarcerated on a phone she reasonably had to know was contraband.
In April, Kennedy was convicted by a Jackson County jury of Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action in connection with the fatal shooting in 2015 of 14-year-old eighth-grader Alexis Kane at the Bay Water Park in south Kansas City.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker stated, "Cell phones used and provided illegally inside this jail pose a serious public safety risk. An investigation of cell phones and other contraband in the jail is ongoing.
"No one, no matter their position or title will be permitted to exploit the operational deficiencies at this jail," Baker added. "We believe, however, that the conduct in this case is not representative of the defense bar in our community or the lead counsel assigned to the 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.