Woman Allegedly Tracks Down and Kills Man She Believes Murdered Her Teen Brother
A Missouri woman is accused of tracking down her teenage brother's suspected murderer and killing him.
Tityana Coppage, 21, has been charged with second degree murder, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office. She remains behind bars in Jackson County jail on $200,000 bond.
On Jan. 10, Coppage's 16-year-old brother Jason Ugwuh was fatally shot in in Kansas City, Missouri. According to police, three days later, Coppage shot and killed her brother's suspected murderer, 36-year-old Keith Lars, in a parking lot, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Authorities allege Coppage killed Lars because she believed him to be involved in her brother's murder.
Investigators were able to identify Coppage as a suspect through eyewitnesses accounts and surveillance video. During police questioning, the 21-year-old allegedly admitted to knowing where Lars would be before the shooting. She also allegedly admitted to shooting Lars but said it was in self defense after he'd shot at her first.
During their investigation, authorities recovered messages sent by Coppage to a contact named "Auntie" asking for bullets, saying, "LOL I used to many on bro," according to the affidavit.
Coppage also allegedly sent a text to her dead brother saying, in part, "I owe em that body," the affidavit states.
Jackson County Detention Center
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Days before Lars' death, Coppage mourned her brother in an emotional Facebook post.
"I tried to shield y'all from everything I had to witness as a kid. I supported anything and everything you wanted to do in life. I tried to give you the best so you wouldn't have to look for fake love in the streets," she wrote in the Jan. 11 post. "I worked hard and long hours to keep a roof over y'all head, nice clothes and shoes on y'all feet refrigerator full of groceries. The streets didn't rise y'all I did this shit 10 toes down. I was at those games as much as I could, I was paying for your studio time for your trips no matter the cost. All I wanted is to see you happy finish school and make it to the top. But some how I still failed you. This wasn't you Jayson you was so sweet so quite a honorable young man why didn't you just hear me out I only wanted more time with you that's all."
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Four years before Jason Ugwuh's death, he and Coppage's younger brother and cousin, Jayden Ugwuh, 9, and Montell Ross, 8, were murdered, KCTV reports. The pair were sleeping in their home when someone shot into the house, killing them. According to ABC, Jason held his little brother in his arms as he died. Their murders remain unsolved.
Attorney information of Coppage was not available Thursday.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Tips can be made anonymously.
