KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police have identified the man shot and killed in the Northland on Sunday as Joe Laudenbach, 36. In addition, prosecutors have charged Tessa L. Franco with second degree murder in his death. Franco was also charged with one count of armed criminal action and one count of attempted kidnapping.
Police were called to a home in the 9400 block of N. Kenwood in the Northland of Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday afternoon in regards to a shooting. Laundenbach was found in the driveway of the home and was deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Laundenbach did not live at the home. According to the probable cause,
Franco waived her Miranda Rights and told police Lauderbach was supposed to kidnap one of the people in that house, who had allegedly stolen a pound of marijuana. Things went wrong when a gun went off during a struggle between Laudgerbach and his intended victim.
Charges were filed against Franco because she put the kidnapper in touch with his intended victim.
Another person at the residence went to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the knee.
The incident is out of the ordinary for the Northland and had residents trying to figure what happened. Neighbor Dennis Bonk Jr. said he had to find another way home.
“I came home with my son we were grocery shopping and I pulled around the corner that way and there was crime scene tape, so we couldn’t go through there. So, we went around the back way came through here and I saw crime scene tape on my mailbox,” Bonk said.
Neighbor Jerry Vogel said there were occasional parties at the home.
“I knew the kid that lived there. I didn’t know him that well, but it’s not surprising that something like that happened,” Vogel said.
Neighbors said the area is pretty quiet with many families with kids. They said this incident that hits too close to home.
“You know a stray bullet could’ve easily passed through the houses and, so I’m glad my kids weren’t home at the time,” Vogel said.
“This is the Northland, we have our little bubble up here, you know?” Bonk said. “Things like this usually don’t happen in the Northland so we’re just trying to piece together what’s going on with the rest of the neighbors.”
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
Watch our initial report:
