Aug. 13, 2020
A 22-year-old Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal shooting of 4-year-old Legend M. Taliferro, who was asleep at home the morning of June 29, 2020, when a shot was fired into his residence and struck him, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
Ryson Ellis, dob: 7/21/1998, faces felony charges of Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.*
According to court records, Kansas City police responded in the early morning hours of June 29, 2020, to the 1600 block of Bushman in the Citadel Apartments regarding a shooting. Someone had fired gunshots into apartment 123 from an area behind the apartment, shooting through a privacy fence and a sliding glass door. The victim was the young child, Legend M. Taliferro, who was asleep in the residence. A witness told police that the suspect had a “fade cut” and facial hair on the chin. This generally matches the description of the defendant.
A woman, according to the court records, was in the apartment at the time of the shooting and she told police she had a son with the defendant and he had assaulted her a few days before the shooting. The witness later received threatening social media messages from the defendant. The assault caused members of her family to confront the defendant. One of the family members is the father of Legend Taliferro and he resided at the apartment where the young victim was later shot. A suspect vehicle was captured on surveillance video from the night of the shooting and police determined it was a rental vehicle. Rental car records confirmed it was rented on June 23 and not returned until July 3. A witness who stated she drove the vehicle the night of the fatal shooting said the defendant got out of the vehicle near apartment 123, then she heard gun shots. He came running back to the car. She said she didn’t find out until later someone had been killed.
Prosecutors requested the defendant be held without bond.
*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded. Charging Document(s)
