KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of the two men killed in a perplexing car crash Monday on Independence Avenue, was once suspected and tried for the 2012 murder of an AT&T worker.
Bryan Middlemas, 40, was driving a gold Honda that crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a purple Ford F150 driven by Perry Green, 56, killing him instantly as well.
Kansas City police are investigating whether street racing or road rage is involved in the crash that killed Middlemas and Perry. Police say a third car, a silver Pontiac involved in the crash drove off without stopping. They are still looking for the driver of that car. Evidence initially looked like Middlemas was street racing with the driver of the Pontiac. However, a witness later described the incident as road rage.
In September 2016, after deliberating for six hours, a jury found Bryan Middlemas not guilty of killing Kevin Mashburn, 58, four years earlier in September 2012. Mashburn’s death was a violent one and the ‘not guilty’ verdict was shocking to Mashburn’s family. Click here for what Mashburn’s son said after the verdict.
Kevin Mashburn was murdered early in the morning on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in the 2700 block of N.E. 57th Terrace in the Gladstone area. He had been severely beaten in the head, apparently with a crow bar. After he was beaten, Mashburn sent text messages, asking someone at AT&T dispatch to send an ambulance to help him. The text messages were part of the court documents and showed Mashburn’s suffering. (See a portion below.) While his first text message was sent out at 2:52 a.m., police didn’t find him in his truck until 3:40 a.m.
Kevin (2:52:24 a.m) Amanda I NEEDE YOU TO CALL ME AN AMBULANCE
Kevin (2:52:37) I HAVE BEEN ATTACKED
Kevin (2:52:57) HELP ME PLEASE
Kevin (2:53:32) I am in Gladstone, MO AT THE KENDALLWAOOD APAT. COMPLEX OFF ANTIOCH
Kevin (2:54:01) DOYOU READ ME?
About 15 minutes later Amanda received Mashburn’s message.
Amanda (3:11:20) I got it.
While he waited for the dispatcher to respond, Mashburn also instant messaged another:
Kevin (2:55:13) GRACIE ARE YOU THERE?
Gracie (3:11:06) I’M HERE NOW
Gracie (3:11:11) I WAS IN A MEETING
Kevin (3:20:10) need police
Police arrested Middlemas and he was charged with first-degree murder. Police say a former cellmate of Middlemas’ told police that Middlemas called him for a ride after the murder and told his friend that he had beaten Mashburn when he wouldn’t turn over his wallet.
Middlemas had been arrested several times and in and out of prison for the majority of the last decade before Mashburn’s murder.
According to court records, in 2007 Middlemas was sentenced to three years in prison for tampering with a motor vehicle. The Department of Corrections told Fox 4 Middlemas only served 40 percent of that sentence before he was granted parole.
At the time of his death, Middlemas was facing a felony theft charge in Johnson County stemming from an August crime in Shawnee. He posted a $1,000 bond and was released from jail on Oct. 3. He died in the car crash 27 days later, also killing Perry Green when he crossed the center line and crashed head-on into him.
Describing what she saw Monday, Alicia Harker remembers the screeching: “A silver Pontiac cut him off. I heard honking because the Gold Honda was honking at him. The Pontiac went to the next lane, drove past me, got in frontof me and I heard screeching,” Harker said.
She believes Middlemas’ gold car was trying to catch up to the Pontiac and that’s when it crossed over the center line, slamming into a purple pick-up truck.
Perry Green will be laid to rest Saturday, Nov. 4, at 5:00 p.m. at Duane E. Harvey Funeral Directors, 9100 Blue Ridge Blvd. Look for more on Green on Fox 4 News.
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Click here for an archive of Fox 4 stories on Kevin Mashburn’s murder and former suspect Bryan Middlemas.
