Joseph Hill Obituary, Death;- Two individuals have been charged in relation to a shooting that occurred in 2023, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old in Kansas City, as reported by the prosecutor’s office.
SirMichael Harbin, aged 19, and Montell Essex-Benjamin, aged 21, face charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to a news release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday.
The incident was reported shortly before 4 p.m. on November 13, 2023, near East 56th Street and Jackson Avenue. Officers from the Kansas City police arrived at the scene and discovered the victim lying in the front yard of a residence. The victim, later identified as 18-year-old Joseph Hill, was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Court documents indicate that police acquired surveillance footage showing gunfire directed from a Dodge Charger towards the victim and the residence. The Charger subsequently fled the scene. Authorities later discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen.
On the day of the incident, police reported that officers located the Charger in a parking lot with two men in proximity. When the officers attempted to engage with the men, both fled, as stated by prosecutors. The police pursued the individuals, and both were ultimately apprehended.
One of the suspects was later identified as Essex-Benjamin. In the months following the shooting, detectives retrieved cell phone data linking Essex-Benjamin to the incident, confirming his presence in the vicinity at the time of the shooting, according to prosecutors. Additionally, gunshot residue was detected on his hands, as noted by the office.
Prosecutors further stated that Harbin’s DNA was found within the Charger and on a 9mm casing discovered at the scene of the shooting. As of Wednesday, both Harbin and Essex-Benjamin remained in custody at the Jackson County Jail. No bond has been established for Essex-Benjamin, who is anticipated to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon. Online court records for Harbin were not immediately accessible.
