Jackson County prosecutors charged 30-year-old Destinie Gilliam on Oct. 30 with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the July 1, 2023, death of 26-year-old Tyler D. Ashley. The case is pending; details about the investigation below are attributed to court documents as described in a FOX4KC report.
Kansas City police responded to the area of 54th Street and Westridge Road after a reported shooting, according to court documents cited by FOX4KC. The documents indicate the shooting occurred in a home's basement. Gilliam took Ashley to a hospital in Independence before officers arrived. He was pronounced dead there from a gunshot wound to his upper right chest. The Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide on Aug. 28, 2023.
Kansas City Homicide Context
Separately, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department's daily homicide analysis lists the city's 2023 homicide figure as 157 (182). The citywide count does not identify cases by neighborhood or relationship, so it does not show how many involved intimate partners.
Doorbell Video Shows SUV Striking Victim
A resident told police she had seen a video clip shortly before the shooting showing Gilliam hit Ashley with her vehicle, according to court documents described in the station's report. The documents also describe doorbell-camera footage in which Gilliam's SUV drove through the yard and struck Ashley in the driveway, pushing him.
The search of Gilliam's phone reportedly identified 54 chat communications between her and a person referred to as “Baby.” The report characterized the exchange as reflecting tension between the two and the end of their relationship. It said 52 of the 54 communications had been deleted, but did not clarify whether investigators recovered the contents of those deleted messages.
Bond Set at $250,000, Hearings Scheduled
Gilliam is being held in the Jackson County jail on a $250,000 bond. She faces one count of second-degree murder and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Missouri's RSMo Section 571.030 covers a range of firearm-related offenses; citing the statute does not establish which provision prosecutors allege in this case.
Gilliam is scheduled for a bond review hearing on Nov. 12, with a preliminary hearing set for Dec. 2. The case remains in its early court stages. The underlying charging documents and search warrant have not been independently reviewed beyond the material described in the report.
