A 36-year-old Kansas City man is facing a first-degree domestic assault charge after he allegedly drove to a family member's residence in St. Joseph and repeatedly punched and choked his child upon learning the child had been smoking marijuana. Felix D. Turner is set to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Buchanan County court.
What the Probable Cause Statement Alleges
According to Northwest Missouri Information Network, Turner was notified that his child had been smoking marijuana and drove from Kansas City to confront the child at the St. Joseph residence. The probable cause statement alleges Turner repeatedly punched and choked the victim during the encounter, the outlet reports. Medical records cited in the report show the victim suffered multiple bruises across the body, and law enforcement says the child disclosed that the abuse involving Turner had been ongoing for several years.
Marijuana possession by adults 21 and older has been legal in Missouri since voters passed Amendment 3 in December 2022, but use by minors remains illegal, categorized as a civil infraction carrying a fine of up to $100 or mandatory drug education, according to Ballotpedia. That distinction underscores the gap between the child's alleged infraction and the much more serious felony now facing Turner.
Where Missouri Law Draws the Line on Discipline
Missouri law protects parental discipline administered in a reasonable manner, but physical harm inflicted through non-accidental excessive force or choking against a minor is classified as child abuse, per the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. It remains an open question whether Buchanan County prosecutors will add additional charges such as child abuse or child endangerment beyond the domestic assault count already filed.
First-degree domestic assault is a Class B felony under Missouri Revised Statutes § 565.072, carrying 5 to 15 years in prison, but the charge escalates to a Class A felony punishable by 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment if serious physical injury is inflicted on the victim. The statute is also classified as a dangerous felony under RSMo § 556.061, meaning that under RSMo § 558.019, a conviction would require Turner to serve a mandatory minimum of 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to Rose Legal Services. A conviction on a qualifying domestic violence charge would also trigger an automatic, lifetime federal ban on possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), regardless of whether the offense is charged as a felony or misdemeanor.
A Long Federal Criminal History in St. Joseph
Turner's record extends well beyond this case. He was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, two counts of selling narcotics, conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine powder, possession of a controlled substance, and non-support, per the same outlet's report.
Those convictions trace back to October 2012, when Turner, then 22, was among 25 St. Joseph-area residents indicted by a federal grand jury in Kansas City as part of Operation Family Feud, a major federal drug trafficking and firearms investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Prosecutors alleged Turner and seven co-defendants conspired to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and 5 kilograms or more of powder cocaine in the St. Joseph area between January 2009 and October 2012, operating under the alias Lil Fe. The two-year task force behind the case involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph Police Department, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department, and the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force.
Domestic Violence Remains Widespread Statewide
The allegations against Turner land amid sobering statewide numbers. Data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence indicates that roughly 42% of women and 35% of men in Missouri experience intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking during their lifetimes, according to the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri.
Buchanan County residents dealing with domestic violence have access to local crisis intervention resources, including emergency shelter services in St. Joseph and the St. Joseph Police Department's Lethality Assessment Program, which is designed to evaluate escalation risks, according to DomesticShelters.org. The exact custody arrangement between Kansas City and St. Joseph involving the child remains unclear, and Turner's Thursday arraignment is expected to be the next step in the case.
