Second person charged with murder for alleged role in fatal shooting at Independence motel

A second suspect was charged for her alleged involvement in a shooting that killed a man outside an Independence motel in August, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Courtney Joe Wilcox of Dixon, Missouri, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for her alleged involvement in the shooting death of Carlos Palacio of Kansas City, Kansas.

Wilcox was taken into custody in St. Roberts, Missouri as a person of interest earlier this week. A co-defendant, Charles J. White of Kansas City, Kansas, was previously charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

The fatal shooting occurred around 2:06 a.m. on Aug. 3 outside the Sports Stadium Inn Motel at 9803 U.S. 40 Highway.

Officers found Palacio lying dead in the motel parking lot with two .223 caliber shell casings near his body. Palacio had been shot once in the back, which exited through his chest and caused his death, according to a probable cause statement.

A witness told detectives that Palacio was known to use drugs and narcotics. She said they were at the motel together, when she went to sleep around 12:30 a.m., and Palacio told her he’d be outside.

Surveillance footage later showed Palacio walking past a black SUV, when a person emerged from the front passenger side with a rifle, according to court documents. Palacio turned to run toward the motel before he was shot.

Detectives found a cell phone number linked to Wilcox at the motel at the time of the homicide.

Wilcox was brought in for questioning and told police she gave Palacio $1,000 to buy narcotics and later felt he had tricked her to steal the money. Then, Wilcox said she called another person and asked them to find Palacio and get her money back.

Once they arrived at the motel in Independence, Wilcox told police she witnessed the shooting that killed Palacio.