U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison participated in a press conference today with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (center) and Charron Powell, the mother of LeGend Taliferro, to announce state charges in the fatal shooting of LeGend.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison participated in today’s press conference with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to announce state charges against Ryson Ellis 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.

“We are all pleased that we’re now a step closer to finding justice for the tragic murder of LeGend Taliferro,” Garrison said. “This case underscores the effectiveness of state, local, and federal law enforcement working together to reduce violent crime in Kansas City. Operation LeGend has resulted in significant numbers of arrests and seizures of dozens of firearms and illegal drugs. Today’s arrest is one of 16 homicide-related arrests under Operation LeGend. 

“The alleged killer of LeGend Taliferro is in custody, but there are still too many armed and violent criminals roaming the streets of Kansas City. Operation LeGend will continue to provide federal support to assist our local law enforcement partners so that more criminals will be taken off the street, more victims will receive justice, and our neighborhoods will be more safe.”

Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.