KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Law enforcement authorities in Kansas City, Missouri, are investigating a double murder-suicide involving a family whose 12-year-old son was well known for reciting speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.
Officers with the Kansas City Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Monday morning, April 1, to conduct a welfare check after woman failed to show up for work and her son didn’t arrive at school. Responding officers discovered three deceased individuals inside the home.
Sgt. Phil DiMartino said the bodies of Domonique A. McGeachy, 38; Jerel McGeachy Sr, 38; and the couple’s 12-year-old son, Jerel McGeachy Jr., were found inside a Kansas City home.
A preliminary investigation revealed the mother, Domonique, and her son, Jerel Jr., had been shot and killed by the husband/father, Jerel Sr., before the man turned turned the gun on himself and died by suicide, according to to police, The Fayetteville Observer reported.
Jerel McGeachy, Sr. allegedly killed his wife Domonique McGeachy and their son Jerel McGeachy, Jr., right, in Kansas City. Their bodies were discovered, Monday, April 1. The boy was known for reciting MLK speeches. (KAKE)
The family was well known in their communities of North Carolina and Missouri. Prior to moving to Kansas City, they lived in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, area. Jerel Jr. made a name for himself for being able to recite MLK speeches, even at a young age.
As a 9-year-old, he was named the Knight of the Year by the North Carolina chapter of the Knights of Pythagoras, a service group, according to the The Fayetteville Observer.
“There’s a lot he has us researching on a daily basis,” Domonique McGeachy told the news outlet once he won the award in 2020. “He’s always intrigued and curious, in a good way. He’s a special kid.”
Upon the family’s move to Missouri, Jerel Jr. continued his talents while speaking at various events. He performed King’s “I’ve been to the Mountain Top” speech in January at an MLK event in Wichita, Kansas, KAKE reported.
“His commitment to being non-violent, because there was so many things, so many racist acts are being performed, and a lot of people I know probably wouldn’t have been able to stay nonviolent, but he was able to stay calm, collected, and cool,” Jerel Jr. told the TV station at the time.
The young boy had aspirations to become an attorney general one day. He also played the trumpet in the school band and was slated to speak at the eighth grade celebration at the end of the school year, Law&Crime reported.
Ryan Smith, the principal at Congress Middle School where Jerel Jr. attended, told KSHB during an interview that Jerel was so bright he was able to skip a grade.
“I remember telling him that it’s important to sometimes just be a kid and enjoy playing in the mud and getting dirty,” Smith told the TV station. “However, he replied that he would rather go to the library and check out a book. Although my heart is shattered by his loss, I will always cherish the great moments we shared.”
According to WTVD, Domonique served seven years in the U.S. Army and worked as a nurse practitioner. She previously described Jerel Jr. as “an old soul” and said he enjoyed studying history and politics.
McGeachy Sr., spent time in 2017 as a police officer in Spring Lake, N.C. and formerly taught first grade at Cumberland Mills Elementary School. He was chairman of the Hope Mills Prime Movers committee for millennials and vice chairman of the town Historical Preservation Committee, The Fayetteville Observer reported.
In 2021, McGeachy Sr. was named to the news organization’s 40 under 40 list. At the time he said he was an educational aid for special needs students at the Fort Brag school system.
Upon making the list, he was asked who helped him achieve success in his life and career.
“My son,” McGeachy Sr. responded at the time. “Seeing my son interact in so many positive things in the community, has allowed me to become more active than ever before. If I as a father cannot teach my child and guide him to the difference between right and wrong, and direct him to positive exposure in life, the streets will. And I can’t have that. I just can’t have my son be another statistic.”
