James Townsend, known as Jimmy, was an 83-year-old Black business owner and community fixture in Kansas City who was fatally shot and found behind his home in the 2900 block of Prospect Avenue on a Saturday morning in December 2015. He had rescued and restored the Green Duck Lounge, operated it for generations, and owned property that provided housing for many residents. Friends and employees remembered him as firm but fair and always willing to help others.

Police classified his death as a homicide and appealed to the public for information in the days after his body was discovered. The killing contributed to rising concern about the city’s murder rate that year, and investigators worked to piece together what happened. The case remains unsolved, leaving the community without closure.

If anyone knew Jimmy, his routines, or saw anything unusual near Prospect Avenue that December morning, please come forward with tips.