Nov. 23, 2021
A Jackson County judge on Tuesday sentenced a Lee’s Summit man, 27, to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of a woman in November 2019 inside an Independence Thai restaurant, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
In May, Porntrep Phonjaroen, dob: 8/22/1994, pleaded guilty to Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges. On Tuesday, a judge sentenced him to 25 years on the Murder 2nd Degree conviction and 10 years on Armed Criminal Action, setting those sentences to run concurrently.
According to court records, on Nov. 16, 2019, the defendant shot and killed his cousin, Wasinee Sankr, while working at the restaurant located on E. Valley View Parkway in Independence. Police found the victim on the kitchen floor of the restaurant. A restaurant customer told police a man inside the business had shot her. He was taken into custody and later identified as Pornthep Phonjaroen. Police recovered a shell casing inside the kitchen near the victim. A handgun was located in the woods behind the business. The defendant, speaking through an interpreter, admitted to shooting the victim, which was also captured on store video. He told police the victim was his cousin and he was upset with her work habits.
