Waylon Cole Williams was 18 when he was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a residence on Huttig Avenue in Independence, Missouri, on October 5, 2021. Officers were initially dispatched after a caller reported a suicide and a friend at the scene told police Williams had taken his own life.

Detectives later found evidence that contradicted that initial account. Two firearms and Williams’ cell phone were recovered hidden in nearby woods, and shell casings inside the home were forensically matched to one of the weapons. A neighbor reported hearing an argument from the residence shortly before gunfire, and witnesses said Williams and 36-year-old Myles Blesz had been in a room together when a shot was fired. One witness said they helped Blesz dispose of the weapons; Blesz told investigators he shot Williams but said it was unintentional.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Myles Blesz with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. Does anyone have information about Williams, his movements that night, or what led to the argument?