A 20-year-old man, who reportedly believed that his mother stole his money, has been charged with the murders of his parents in a motel room.
Jason Sessoms was accused of fatally shooting his father, 42-year-old Marvin Sessoms, and his mother, 38-year-old Maleeka Sessoms, inside the Extended Stay Kansas City motel in Northland on March 29.
Kansas City police officers responded to the motel in the 4300 block of North Corrington Avenue at approximately 3:45 a.m., where they discovered the Sessoms couple unresponsive, their bodies riddled with gunshot wounds, according to Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina. Marvin and Maleeka died at the scene.
By pure coincidence, Sessoms was apprehended in Michigan on the same day on unrelated burglary charges. A subsequent interview with the suspected killer’s 10-year-old brother, who was traveling with Sessoms, provided a harrowing account. The juvenile allegedly told Michigan police that his older brother had killed their parents earlier that day, according to court documents.
Further investigation revealed that the Sessoms family had been en route to Georgia to visit Marvin Sessoms’ sister. However, they had returned to the Kansas City area to retrieve the youngest son’s laptop. The sister also told investigators that the family had been fleeing because Jason Sessoms believed someone had “put out a hit on him,” according to the affidavit.
In Michigan, Sessoms was armed with two handguns when he was arrested. He is currently being held at the Van Buren County Detention Facility in Paw Paw, Michigan, facing charges of home invasion, attempted disarming of a police officer, unlawful driving away of an automobile, carrying a concealed weapon, and resisting and obstructing a police officer. A Michigan judge set his bond at $2 million.
Kansas City Police Department detectives traveled to Michigan to interview Sessoms about the killings of his parents. During the interview, Sessoms initially provided conflicting accounts, attempting to deflect blame. He first claimed a “tall and buff” Hispanic male had killed his parents and intended to harm him. However, after detectives confronted him with evidence, Sessoms provided multiple, varying versions of the events leading to his parents’ deaths, according to court documents.
The Clay County Court has charged Jason Sessoms with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. No information has been released regarding when Sessoms will be extradited to Missouri to face these charges.
The motive for the killings, as alleged by authorities, stemmed from Sessoms’ belief that his mother had taken his money to rent the motel room. The details provided by the 10-year-old child and the family members painted a picture of a volatile individual.
Sessoms faces charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Clay County, Missouri, following the deaths of Marvin and Maleeka Sessoms. He is currently detained in Michigan on separate charges, pending extradition.
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