Man charged with killing stepson in domestic violence shooting is KC-area teacher

The Northland man charged with murder in the domestic violence shooting that killed his stepson, a Staley High School student, and injured the teen’s mother was a special education teacher who previously worked with students with behavioral issues.

Steven Lester Woods has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Joseph Michael Bonacorso, according to court records. His mother, who is married to Woods, also was seriously injured in the shooting.

Woods has spent the last eight years working at three school districts in the Kansas City area, according to his profile on LinkedIn, a social media network used for professional networking.

Since August 2022, Woods has worked as a special education teacher at Maple Elementary School in Smithville, said Mindy Hedgecorth, a communication specialist for the Smithville School District.

Upon being informed of the charges, the district placed Woods on administrative leave, she said.

In a letter sent to families on Monday, Smithville Superintendent Mark Maus informed them that Woods “had been arrested and charged with several serious crimes.”

The district said it was cooperating law enforcement as part of an ongoing investigation. It informed the families that the incident did not involve any other Smithville staff or students.

The district said counselors would be available for students, staff and families affected by the tragedy.

At the time Woods joined the district, the district said he had a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Governors University and was pursuing a master’s degree in special education from the University of Missouri.

He previously had worked for the district as a behavior interventionist, which is a non-certified position, at Maple Elementary from June 2019 to July 2021.

Among the essential functions listed under the district’s job description, that position involves administering programs and services for emotionally disturbed students as well as assisting in the development of procedures and training materials for district staff and ensuring that programs are compliant with established guidelines.

The person in that position also is responsible for conducting workshops, training and in-service presentations to help staff develop skills and establish relationships with emotionally disturbed students. A behavior interventionist also coordinates the handling of child abuse and neglect cases through contact with school staff and outside agencies to comply with mandated requirements.

Woods previously worked for the North Kansas City School District starting as a security clerk at Maple Park Middle School in October 2015, according to Susan Hiland, director of media and public relations for North Kansas City Schools.

In 2016, he became a paraprofessional in-school suspension supervisor at Maple Park Middle School. From January 2018 to May 2019, Woods had the same position at New Mark Middle School. While he was with the district, he volunteered to assist in lock down training, she said.

From July 2021 to August 2022, he worked as an at-risk teacher for the Center School District in Kansas City, according to his profile.

The district, however, is not able to confirm past employment records, said Rick Chambers, a spokesman for the Center School District said.

A check of his educator credentials with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education showed that Woods worked at Center Middle School during the district’s 2021-2022 school year.

The shooting

The fatal shooting occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday at a home in the 1300 block of Northeast 119th Terrace in Kansas City, North.

According to court documents, Bonacorso’s mother told police that she and Woods are married and that their marriage had a history of verbal abuse. Prior to the shooting, she had confronted Woods about him cheating on her and texting another woman.

Woods told her to leave and as she was gathering her belongings, she saw his phone was unlocked, grabbed it and locked herself in a hallway bathroom. Woods allegedly broke the bathroom door in half and grabbed the victim, allegedly repeatedly throwing her into the bathtub and yelling for her to get out of the house, according to court documents.

Another person in the house tried to intervene, but Woods allegedly went after her.

She told police she barricaded herself inside her bedroom, but Woods broke through the door and punched her TV. She told police she called the stepson because “she was in fear for her life and she needed him to come to protect” them, according to court documents.

Woods ran into his room and shut the door when Bonacorso arrived. He yelled for the victims to leave with him, the female victim told police.

Woods told police he retrieved a handgun from his nightstand. He exited the room and told Bonacorso to leave his home. Woods allegedly told a detective that he shot Bonacorso when he raised a knife.

After his wife fled from the house, Woods told police he grabbed a shotgun from his bedroom to defend himself. He said he was afraid Bonacorso’s family would arrive before police. In 2016, Woods had shot Bonacorso’s father in what was then determined to be self-defense, according to court documents.

As he waited for police, Woods allegedly told a detective the shotgun had an “accidental discharge” as he fumbled with the safety.

His wife, who had gone to the front door in an attempt to check on her son, was struck by shotgun round that had exited through the front door.

Woods remained in Clay County jail on $1 million bond. There is no attorney listed for him in court records.

Here’s a list of domestic violence resources in the Kansas City area if you or someone you love is facing a domestic violence situation.