On April 20, 2019, 40-year-old Jeremy John Kitscher was fatally shot inside his Belton, Missouri, home in the 300 block of Grand Street. Officers responding just after 12:15 a.m. found droplets of blood leading to a hallway and Kitscher lying face down on a bed with a gunshot wound to the chest; he was pronounced dead at 12:51 a.m. Witnesses said the shooting followed an interpersonal dispute between Kitscher and a man who had been staying at the residence for about two weeks, identified as 34-year-old Joshua Landon Hance.

According to witness statements, Kitscher returned home around midnight, discovered personal belongings had been disturbed and a coin collection was missing, and confronted Hance. The confrontation reportedly became physical; witnesses said Hance threatened to shoot, then drew a pistol and fired a single shot into Kitscher’s chest before leaving.

Prosecutors in Cass County initially charged Hance with being a felon in possession of a firearm and declined at that time to file murder charges while the investigation continued. Hance also faced Platte County charges for tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest, and records noted prior convictions and previous encounters involving weapons. If anyone has information about Kitscher, his last hours, or the events at the Grand Street residence, please share what is known.