Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Pettis County Murder

A Kansas City man has pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of another man at a trailer park on the outskirts of Sedalia.

The Sedalia Democrat reports that 30-year-old Ronald Cage had been scheduled to go on trial Wednesday. Instead, he pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in the August 2017 death of 28-year-old Leon Hinckley, of Windsor. Through the plea, a second armed criminal action charge was dropped. Sentencing is set for Nov. 8.

Cage evaded arrest for nearly three months before he was taken into custody in Kansas City for an unrelated incident.

A second defendant, Branden Hendren, was arrested in Independence a week after Hinckley's death. He's awaiting trial on charges that include first-degree murder.