KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man who killed two people and shot a police officer during a 2007 crime spree was sentenced to 79 years in prison on Friday.
Frederick Darrington, Jr., 23, was sentenced to 79 years in prison, which will run concurrent with a 35 year sentence he’s already serving. Prior to these charges, Darrington had a violent criminal record ranging from armed car robberies, armed car-jackings and a hit and run that nearly killed two people.
Retired Kansas City Missouri Police officer Lee Malek, who was forced from the force because of the injuries he sustained when he was shot by Darrington, says that the shooting has left him in pain every day, and it has nearly destroyed him both mentally and physically.
“Clearly his intent was to kill me,” said Malek. “Four bullets went through the door, I don’t know how they missed me. I don’t know how a lot of the bullets missed me. I’m lucky, I’m blessed.”
Malek says that he was upset that Darrington wouldn’t look at him, or any of his victims, in court on Friday.
“I would have liked to have looked at him and have him see what we’ve went through, what it’s done to us and our families, to pay respect for the ones he did kill and families who lost their loved ones,” said Malek.
Murder victims like Andre Taylor, gunned down by Darrington in a case of mistaken identity. His fiance heard him yelling, “It’s not me” right before the shots that killed him rang out. Darrington’s other murder victim, Kevin Sherrils, was shot and killed while walking to his sister’s house.
“We finally have justice for his killer, hopefully it brings some people peace,” said Ronnesha Smith, Sherrils’ sister. “It doesn’t bring me peace because he still has his life and my brother doesn’t have his.”
Mylincia Williams was crossing the street after a Bible study class when Darrington hit her with a stolen car and fled the scene. When Darrington confessed to police that he knew he had hit Williams, he made a crass comment about her figure.
“The hardest thing for me to hear was that he just wanted to take me out on a date,” said Williams. “He didn’t care that I almost died and he left me for dead.”
“I think he got what he deserved, more than we expected, and I think that’s awesome. It’s where he belongs,” said Malek.
Misty Kirwan, whose son Chris Bartholomew was gunned down in a Westport parking lot in 2007, says that she attended the sentencing on Friday because she had heard rumors that Darrington had been involved in her son’s death.
“Listening to the testimony in there, of all the people he hurt, he doesn’t deserve to be in the streets,” said Kirwan. “We want to solve Chris’ case, we want justice like some of the families got here today.”
The Chris Bartholomew case is still considered unsolved, and there is a $30,000 reward for information that can help police close that case.
