KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a teenage girl that occurred in Independence in June 2021.
Justin Finch, 21, faces 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Burglary.
Finch was a juvenile at the time of the homicide. Last week, a Family Court judge certified him to stand trial as an adult.
“Justice does not have an expiration date. Homicide cases are among the most complex our office handles and when the suspect is also a juvenile at the time of the offense, the legal process becomes much more intricate, moving through Family Court first, under a completely different system,” Prosecutor Johnson said. “That process takes time, but that does not mean we’ve forgotten our obligation to victims. Our office will pursue accountability and justice for all victims no matter how long it takes.”
According to court records, Independence police responded to a residence on June 23, 2021, and located the victim deceased in her bedroom with an apparent injury to her face and head. A single spent shell casing was recovered under the victim’s bed.
Witnesses reported Finch and the victim were in a relationship and not getting along. The defendant had been seen with firearms in the past and had sent photos and videos of firearms to the victim.
The defendant’s DNA was present in the scrapings from both the victim’s hands. He had also been observed at the victim’s bedroom window the day of the homicide.
In July 2023, Finch had a pre-trial conference with Family Court but failed to appear. After investigators and different law enforcement agencies attempted to locate Finch, he was arrested on Jan. 6 for the warrant.
A Jackson County judge set the defendant’s bond to $350,000 cash only.