Michael Bushnell
Publisher

A Jackson County jury convicted 36-year-old Cleon D. White on Wednesday, January 31 for a double homicide in 2020 in Kansas City’s East Bottoms neighborhood. White was convicted of two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.

Court records indicate that Kansas City, MO police officers were dispatched to the area of the 2700 block of Guinotte Avenue at approximately 8pm on the evening of August 25th, 2020 on a reported shooting. Upon arrival police found two men in a gold Honda suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid to the victims who were later declared deceased at the scene. Those victims were identified as Jahmiere Green and Brandon Rainey.

Video surveillance obtained by investigators showed the victim’s vehicle being followed by a white SUV along Guinottte Avenue. The SUV pulled up to the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle, then the victim’s vehicle rolled slowly to a stop. 

Surveillance video shows the SUV returning to the scene but leaving again. Detectives also determined the SUV returned to a parking lot on East Third Street soon after the murder. The man who exits the SUV matches White’s description of a man who met with one of the victims shortly before the homicide. 

Formal sentencing is set for March 14.

Original Homicide Story:

Update:

A Jackson County Judge sentenced the Cleon D. White to Life in prison without parole for each of the murders he was convicted of in August of 2020 in the 2700 block of Guinotte Avenue in Kansas City’s East Bottoms neighborhood. White also drew an additional 25 years for each Armed Criminal Action conviction in the same case along with an additional 15 years on the Unlawful Use of a Weapon charge. The sentences were set to run consecutively to the Life Without Parole sentences.