Man who killed Kansas City officer, pedestrian in reckless crash admits to manslaughter
The 20-year-old man who sped through a red light and broadsided a Kansas City police squad car, killing an officer and a pedestrian one year ago, pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Jerron A. Lightfoot, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, appeared Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court and admitted to recklessly causing the deaths of Officer James Muhlbauer and Jesse Eckes, a 52-year-old bystander caught up in the wreckage.
Answering a series of brief questions asked by his defense attorney, Lightfoot said he was 18 at the time and got lost while driving back toward Kansas that night. He acknowledged he knew the way he was driving was illegal.
Under the terms of the plea, prosecutors agreed to cap their recommendation at 10 years in prison for the two felony convictions.
Before accepting the plea, Judge Sarah A. Castle reminded Lightfoot of the levels of punishment she could legally impose — ranging from a suspended sentence to as long as 10 years in prison.
Castle ordered that an assessment report be completed before a sentencing hearing is held. Assistant Prosecutor Lauren Whiston requested the report, saying there have been two families “deeply impacted by the events in this case.”
“We anticipate they may present different requests of this court — with one asking you to impose the maximum sentence under the plea agreement and the other asking you to consider a much lesser sentence,” she told the judge.
Lightfoot, who has been on house arrest since he was charged, left court on Friday with a late-April return date.
Among those in the courtroom pews on Friday were several uniformed police officer, joined by Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves. The chief declined to speak with reporters after the plea hearing.
Muhlbauer, 42, was a celebrated officer, husband and father of three with 20 years of experience in law enforcement.
When he died, Muhlbauer was working with a K-9 partner named “Champ,” also killed in the crash. The two were on patrol along Truman Road on Feb. 15, 2023.
Authorities say Lightfoot barreled down Benton Boulevard in a white Ford, failing to stop for the red light. Muhlbauer’s car was hit on the driver’s side and careened into Eckes, the 52-year-old pedestrian, who was sitting on a concrete barrier.
Lightfoot was uninjured. He low-balled how fast he was going and described having trouble with his brakes, according to an affidavit prepared by Kansas City police detectives.
A review of traffic cameras and the car’s computer showed no signs of a brake malfunction, investigators found.
Prosecutors charged Lightfoot the day after the crash, which came hours after the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory celebration over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
Outside the courtroom, the criminal case became a source of some controversy in Kansas City as some questioned why harsher criminal charges were not filed against Lightfoot.
Critics, including Muhlbauer’s widow, took aim last year at Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, accusing her of being “anti-police.”
The criticism prompted a rare public statement from Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in defense of her office’s work, saying an involuntary manslaughter charge was the only available option. Baker frequently avoids making statements about ongoing criminal cases that her office is handling.
Families of Muhbauer and Eckes are expected to give victim impact statements in court before Lightfoot is sentenced. Prosecutors and Lightfoot’s defense attorneys face an April 12 filing deadline to recommend an appropriate punishment.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for April 24.
