An Independence man is in custody after police say he fatally stabbed a friend during an argument over a sweatshirt. Trey C. Parker has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to a criminal complaint filed in Jackson County.
He is being held on a $250,000 cash bond following his arrest Monday evening after what officials described as a “multi-day manhunt.” Independence police said officers were dispatched to the 900 block of East 23rd Street around 8:05 p.m. Friday after receiving reports of a stabbing.
When officers arrived, they found 45-year-old Anthony Myers suffering from “an apparent stab wound,” department spokesperson Officer Bryan Conley said in a Tuesday press release. According to a probable cause statement, paramedics located Myers at a nearby car wash before transporting him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to FOX4 News Kansas City.
A witness at the scene identified Myers and directed officers to the residence where Myers had been living. That witness later told investigators that Myers and Parker were friends and had been preparing to visit a local casino with others after Parker’s mother hosted a garage sale.
The witness said the men began arguing about a sweatshirt Myers was wearing, which reportedly belonged to Parker. The disagreement escalated into a physical altercation. When Myers got into a vehicle, he reportedly told the witness that Parker had stabbed him and said he needed to go to the hospital, according to the statement.
Parker’s mother confirmed to investigators that she saw her son in “a heated confrontation” with Myers over a red Kansas City Chiefs sweatshirt. She told police that Myers appeared to be “taunting” Parker during the argument.
Although she did not see the stabbing itself, Parker allegedly admitted to her that he had pulled out a knife and “barely tapped Myers “to get him to back off,” according to court documents.
Investigators said surveillance footage from the residence corroborated parts of the incident. Police searched for Parker for several days before locating and arresting him in Independence on Monday.
“After a multi-day manhunt, investigators arrested Trey Parker Monday evening in Independence,” Officer Conley said in the release.
Parker now awaits trial while Myers’ death remains under investigation. If convicted, Parker faces decades in prison for the fatal confrontation that began as a dispute over clothing.