Possible ‘drifter’ in Kansas City homicide allegedly stabbed man, hid in Northland yard
A 34-year-old man, described as a possible “drifter” by Kansas City homicide detectives, is accused of stabbing and beating a friend to death in a Northland home.
Clay County prosecutors charged Jonathan A. Dehaan, whose last known address was in Kansas City, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Daniel T. Lainson, 56. Dehaan was arrested early Friday morning after someone called police about a possible prowler in the Sherrydale neighborhood.
As of Tuesday, Dehaan was being held in Clay County jail on a $1 million bond.
Officers first on the scene in the 400 block of Northwest 88th Street found Dehaan hiding in the corner of a backyard with a blood-covered knife in hand, according to charging documents.
In his pocket was Lainson’s ID, which listed an address roughly 3 1/2 miles to the north in the city’s Nashua neighborhood. Seeking to do a welfare check on Lainson, Kansas City police officers visited that address and spoke with a resident who did not know him.
A computer search later turned up a most recent address for Lainson on Northwest 88th Terrace, about a half-block from where Dehaan was taken into police custody.
Police officers contacted Lainson’s daughter, whose name is withheld from court documents. She said her father lived in a basement apartment with a separate entrance on the property.
She also told police Dehaan had come by with his dog around 1 p.m. Thursday and had been hanging out with her dad until at least 10 p.m.
Inside the apartment, officers found Lainson “covered in blood with no signs of life.” He had stab wounds to his neck, face and hand. There was also a “defect” to his back “caused by an unknown object.”
Police collected as evidence a small baseball bat found near Lainson’s body, according to court documents.
During the execution of a search warrant, a pair of hair trimmers was discovered on a workbench in the garage. Tufts of brown hair were scattered along the driveway. Detectives noted that Dehaan’s head was apparently freshly shaved when he was taken into police custody as a witness had seen him with longer hair hours beforehand.
Crime scene investigators also found a bloody handprint on a neighbor’s chain-link fence.
Deehan was first taken to the hospital and then KCPD Headquarters for an interview. He allegedly became paranoid, exhibited aggressive behavior and damaged the interview room when detectives tried to speak with him.
Detectives noted Dehaan appeared to be “covered in blood” at that time and had a small laceration on his right pinky finger.
The interview ended when Dehaan asked for a lawyer, according to court records, and he was booked on a 24-hour investigative hold.
During his initial appearance in court Monday, a not-guilty plea was entered for Dehaan and he was instructed to apply for legal services through the Missouri Public Defender’s Office. Online court records did not list a defense attorney for Dehaan on Tuesday.
In requesting an arrest warrant for Dehaan, a Kansas City homicide detective wrote in the probable cause affidavit that the 34-year-old “may be a drifter” and has no apparent fixed address. The detective also said the crime is “particularly egregious and appears unprovoked.”
