KANSAS CITY —A judge has sentenced a Kansas City-area man to 30 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Barbara Mae Harper in her vehicle near Downtown Kansas City in January 2019, according Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.
In April, a jury convicted 28-year-old Dakkota Siders of Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.
A judge sentenced Siders today to 30 years on his Murder 2nd Degree conviction, 5 years on the two Armed Criminal Action convictions, and 15 years on the Unlawful Use of a Weapon conviction. The judge set all sentences to run concurrently.
At the sentencing hearing Barbara Mae Harper's brother, John Edmonds, described the victim as a "friend to everyone," who could talk to anyone. The siblings had planned to visit their ill brother in Grand Rapids, Mich., but that trip never happened because of the fatal shooting. "Barbara loved to laugh, could tell a good joke and had a love of life," her brother stated.
According to court records, Kansas City police responded to Interstate 70 West near the Interstate 35 entrance ramp on a reported injury accident about 3 a.m. Jan. 16, 2019.
Police found Harper, 71, deceased. She had suffered a gunshot wound. Holes in the headrest of the passenger's seat appeared to be from gunfire. The driver's side window was broken, as well as a passenger side window. Spent shell casings were found in the roadway nearby.
Police detectives obtained surveillance video from city cameras and showed another vehicle speeding behind the victim's vehicle before the victim's vehicle swerves and strikes the guard rail.
The vehicle speeding behind her vehicle exited onto Harrison Street from Interstate 70. Other video detected the sounds of two gunshots and showed the subject vehicle. Police determined the license plate number on the suspect vehicle and conducted surveillance on the residence associated with the plate.
During the investigation, detectives also learned of a disturbance and shots being fired near the Shady Lady on East 12th Street shortly before the homicide. Analysis of spent shell casing revealed they and those found near the homicide scene were fired from the same gun. Detectives believe the victim's vehicle may have been mistakenly targeted by the defendant after the Shady Lady incident.