Jerel McGeachy allegedly killed his wife Domonique McGeachy and their son Jerel McGeachy, right, in Kansas City. Jerel, 12, was known for reciting MLK speeches. (KAKE)
Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are investigating a double murder-suicide involving a family well known across two states.
Kansas City police responded to a home Monday for a welfare check after 38-year-old Domonique A. McGeachy failed to show up for work. When they went inside they found McGeachy dead along with her husband Jerel McGeachy, also 38, and their son 12-year-old Jerel McGeachy Jr. Cops say the elder McGeachy shot both his wife and son to death before turning the gun on himself. No motive was released.
The McGeachys were well known in their communities in North Carolina and Missouri. Before moving to Missouri, they lived in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, area. Jerel made a name for himself for being able to recite Martin Luther King Jr. speeches even at a young age. In 2020, when he was 9 he was named the Knight of the Year by the North Carolina chapter of the Knights of Pythagoras, a service group, the Fayetteville Observer reported.
“There’s a lot he has us researching on a daily basis,” Domonique McGeachy told the newspaper after he won the award. “He’s always intrigued and curious, in a good way. He’s a special kid.”
Jerel continued his talents after the family moved to Kansas City, speaking at various events. He performed King’s “I’ve been to the Mountain Top” speech at an event in Wichita, Kansas, at an MLK event in January, ABC affiliate KAKE said.
“His commitment to being non-violent, because there was so many things, so many racist acts are being performed, and a lot of people I know probably wouldn’t have been able to stay nonviolent, but he was able to stay calm, collected, and cool,” Jerel, wearing suit coat with a red bowtie and handkerchief, told the TV station that day.
Jerel made an impact on those who knew him. Ryan Smith, the principal at Congress Middle School where Jerel attended, in an interview with NBC affiliate KSHB said Jerel was so bright he was able to skip a grade. Jerel told his principal he wanted to become an attorney general one day. He also played the trumpet in the school band and was slated to speak at the eighth grade celebration at the end of the school year.
“I remember telling him that it’s important to sometimes just be a kid and enjoy playing in the mud and getting dirty,” Smith told the TV station. “However, he replied that he would rather go to the library and check out a book. Although my heart is shattered by his loss, I will always cherish the great moments we shared.”
Domonique McGeachy served seven years in the U.S. Army and was a nurse. Raleigh ABC affiliate WTVD featured her among the pandemic heroes.
Jerel McGeachy Sr. was named by the Fayetteville Observer to the 40 under 40 list in 2021. At the time he said he was an educational aid for special needs students at the Fort Brag school system. The newspaper asked him who helped him achieve success in his life and career.
“My son,” he responded. “Seeing my son interact in so many positive things in the community, has allowed me to become more active than ever before. If I as a father cannot teach my child and guide him to the difference between right and wrong, and direct him to positive exposure in life, the streets will. And I can’t have that. I just can’t have my son be another statistic.”
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