The 16-year-old accused of paying his brother an extra $20 for killing Kansas City businessman Michael
J. Tutera has pleaded guilty.
Joseph Hendrix entered the guilty plea Friday to charges of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and armed criminal action. The teen entered the plea without a plea agreement, and he's facing a whole lot of jail time (anywhere from 10 to 30 years to life for the murder charge).
Tutera was killed in a robbery-turned-homicide at his home on Sunset
Drive on May 27, 2010. Reports in August 2010 were that Tutera
was the godfather of Joseph Hendrix
and his older brother, Matthew (UPDATE: Tutera was not their godfather). "Well, you
killed him; you get the extra $20," Joseph Hendrix was quoted as
telling Matthew as they divided up the cash
they'd allegedly stolen from Tutera.
Joseph Hendrix' sentencing is scheduled for February 25.
A witness told police that he overheard the Hendrix brothers
plotting the robbery of Tutera, and was with them
when they met five men with guns at Loose Park just prior to going to
Tutera's home.
with the younger
Hendrix,
who had given his brother the keypad combination to open Tutera's
garage door, while Matthew Hendrix and two black men went to pull the
lick. But when they heard gunshots, Joseph Hendrix ran to check on his
brother.
When
Hendrix didn't come back after five minutes, the witness went to check
on
him. He saw Tutera lying in the
garage and claimed Joseph Hendrix was searching the home for stuff to
steal. Hendrix
allegedly ended up with Tutera's wallet and divided up the money
(giving everyone in the car a $40 cut, except for his brother, who got
the extra $20).
On the morning of the murder, police canvased the area near Hendrix'
home. In a nearby Dumpster, they found Tutera's wallet.
In an
interview with police, Joseph Hendrix admitted everything but stealing
Tutera's wallet.
Jackson
County prosecutors have already charged Matthew
Hendrix, an 18-year-old University of Missouri-Kansas City student,
and Troy
J. Davis, 22, with
second-degree murder, armed criminal action and burglary. Joel Thomas, 19, and Michael
Dear, 20, are also facing second-degree murder charges.
Dear allegedly went to the house
after shots were fired, saw Tutera lying on the ground and looked
for items to steal. Thomas is accused of helping dispose of shoes and a shirt that Matthew Hendrix had
worn.
Court
records say Tutera called 911 late
Wednesday night and reported catching Matthew Hendrix in his house.
Tutera
kicked Hendrix out. Tutera told the dispatcher that Hendrix was
"casing the properties" and requested that officers check out the area.
In
an interview with detectives, Matthew Hendrix said he'd been at
Tutera's
home earlier that night and was told to leave. Hendrix claimed that he
later met up with a group of men -- some with guns -- who planned to rob
Tutera.
Hendrix claimed that he was in the street outside of
Tutera's
driveway when
he heard two shots.
Showing 1-8 of 8
