Mother accused of causing child’s fall from KC high-rise by removing safety devices

The mother of the 5-year-old boy who fell from the 17th floor of a downtown Kansas City high-rise in November is accused of causing his death by removing safety devices from the window of her apartment, according to recently unsealed court documents.

The boy, Grayson O’Connor, was found dead in an alley behind the Grand Boulevard Lofts at 10th Street and Grand Boulevard. His death has angered some neighbors who say there were warning signs of neglect or abuse over the years the two lived in the building.

Kansas City police were called to the apartment at least eight times since 2018, according to a Star analysis of police records. Calls were made to police for general disturbances and another to check the welfare of a person who was threatening suicide.

Neighbors and another source told The Star concerns about Grayson’s well-being were also reported via Missouri’s Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline.

Prosecutors have charged his 27-year-old mother, Corrinne O’Connor, with child endangerment resulting in death, a Class A felony under Missouri law. The Star reported in December that O’Connor was facing the charge, though supporting court documents have remained under seal for more than a month.

The case file was unsealed Friday following her arrest. O’Connor is now being held in the Jackson County jail on a $100,000 cash bond.

Online court records did not list a defense attorney representing O’Connor in the case as of Tuesday.

Child’s fall from 17th floor

On Nov. 27, around 11:30 a.m., Kansas City police were called to investigate when a passerby discovered Grayson in the alley. Officers noticed a lone open window on the 17th floor and went upstairs.

After entering the apartment, O’Connor was asked where her son was. She told police he had gone out the window, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared by a Kansas City detective.

Authorities say O’Connor did not call 911 to report her son’s fall.

A building manager also told detectives there were window stops installed in every apartment to prevent them from opening more than a few inches.

Detectives noted a major state of disarray inside the apartment during a search in November. Inside, police found feces in the entrance hallway and stamped into the carpet throughout the floor.

Dirty clothes, toys and food debris were discovered in one of the bedrooms, the affidavit says. There was no bed in the room and other mattresses were found on the floor of the apartment.

Detectives also found “a copious amount” of chocolate on the window sill and exterior ledge of the window, the affidavit says, and drips of chocolate were dripping down to the ground 17 stories below. There were smeared handprints of a child’s size as well.

A detective noted in a probable cause affidavit seeking criminal charges for O’Connor that only two windows in the apartment opened at all. Each was fitted with a safety mechanism to prevent them from opening more than six inches, the affidavit says.

The window in the living room was missing its safety mechanism, the affidavit says, allowing it to open to the top of the frame.

Prosecutor’s statement

In a statement Tuesday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said police and prosecutors have continued to put resources toward the investigation as the case has remained under seal since mid-December.

She added that Kansas City police worked “diligently” on the case, “ensuring our ability to file charges against the defendant for the harm to this child.”

“Anytime a child is injured, the criminal justice system is expected to address harm. It is our hope that the judicial process will find appropriate outcomes for the harm caused,” Baker said.

In the wake of Grayson’s death, The Star spoke with neighbors who said there were longtime signs of verbal abuse and other concerns about Grayson having enough food.

Among the neighbors is Kelsey Grzib, who said she found Grayson abandoned at a bus stop roughly eight months before he died. She said she took care of the boy for a few days until a social services worker intervened and returned him to his mother’s care.

The Star requested records from the Department of Social Services concerning Grayson in November. The state agency has not acknowledged providing services to him at any point or answered any of The Star’s questions, saying the earliest such records could become available is April 10.