Kearney woman charged with murder in death of husband

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kearney woman arrested late on Tuesday night now faces charges in the killing of her husband.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says deputies went to a home northeast of downtown Kearney in the 16200 block of Kountry Ridge Drive, just south of Jesse James Farm Road, on reports of a shooting at about 10 p.m. that night.

Sheriff’s deputies found 50-year-old Ricky Allen dead at the scene, and arrested 48-year-old Melissa Hoffner-Allen. Clay County prosecutors charged her with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

A probable cause statement says Hoffner-Allen called police and said she had shot her husband in the chest and he wasn’t breathing. Emergency workers attempted life-saving measures, but declared him deceased.

Investigators found evidence of some kind of incident where drywall had fallen on the floor, and a spent shell casing was found at the bottom of a staircase. The shell casing matched rounds found in a 9 mm pistol recovered from the scene.

The court document says that Hoffner-Allen told investigators her husband was mad at her and choked her. She said after she went upstairs to get her gun, her husband said, “shoot me” multiple times, which she said she did.

When Hoffner-Allen was taken to jail and photographed, a detective noted in the charging document that she had visible bruising on both of her arms.

She declined to make further statements to investigators after speaking with an attorney.

Hoffner-Allen appeared with an attorney at her arraignment on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Her bond remains set at $250,000. Her next court date is Thursday, August 15.

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