Man sentenced for 2023 KCK killing, stabbing in Argentine neighborhood
By Brian Dulle,
22 days ago
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Kansas man is sentenced in Wyandotte County for the stabbing death of his father and attacking another woman in July of 2023.
John Eugene McGriff was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 14 years. He was sentenced to 10 years and three months for the second-degree murder charge and three years and seven months for the aggravated battery charge. Sentences are set to run consecutively.
Mugshot of John McGriff, courtesy of Wyandotte County Detention Center
According to court documents, KCK police officers responded to a stabbing on July 18, 2023, in the area of S. 36th Street and Metropolitan Avenue in the city’s Argentine neighborhood.
When officers arrived on scene they located a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was taken to KU hospital for emergency treatment of life-threatening injuries.
The victim’s mom stated that her daughter was volunteering at the food kitchen at the church around the corner as she does every Tuesday. She looked out the window and saw her daughter walking home on the sidewalk. She then saw a man walking towards the victim, covered in blood and carrying a large knife and screaming, according to court documents.
The suspect did not say anything, he just screamed, court documents say. The victim’s mom called out to her to “cross the street” when the suspect was about 10 feet away.
Two officers located John McGriff in the area of S. 37th Street and Strong Avenue. Court documents say when the officers got out of their marked KCKPD vehicles, John McGriff was holding a six-inch double sided blade knife and started advancing on an officer. John McGriff was given repeated commands to stop and to drop the knife.
Court documents say John McGriff was yelling and making stabbing motions with the knife and then ran towards one of the officers. The officer fired his weapon at the suspect in fear of his safety.
John McGriff was struck by the officer’s weapon and fell to the ground. The knife was kicked away from him. He then stood up and tried to run until he fell to the ground again, according to court documents. He was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment .
While on scene, officers were flagged down by the property manager of an apartment building, saying she had just found a man who appeared deceased. Court documents say officers responded to the apartment, where the door was open and Samuel McGriff, the father of John McGriff, was found lying face down on the ground with what appeared to be stab wounds to the head, torso and arms.
The next day, detectives received a cellphone video of John McGriff wearing a scary clown mask walking around the area of the homicide during a rainstorm holding a knife. During a search of the scene the day before, Halloween style masks were photographed but not recovered. Court documents say at the time of the search, the information of John McGriff wearing the mask was not known. An additional search warrant was obtained and the mask was recovered.
The video shows John McGriff walking on different streets during the rainstorm dressed in all black, wearing the clown mask. Court documents say there was no blood in John McGriff’s room which would suggest he dropped the mask off before killing his father.
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