KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the November 2025 shooting death of Elayjah Murray, 18.

Eric R. Phillips II is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

He was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.

Phillips was charged on Dec. 3, 2025, in Jackson County under seal. The case was unsealed Feb. 25.

Kansas City, Missouri, police were notified early Nov. 28 of the shooting, which took place in Independence.

The reporting party told police Phillips shot her girlfriend, Murray, three times in the face, according to a court document.

RELATED | Family seeks answers 2 months after Missouri State student found shot to death in Independence

While officers were speaking with the victim, a witness came up to police and said she had video from a Ring device that covers the hall between her apartment and the apartment the victim was in.

The witness told police she heard Phillips and the victim arguing, with Phillips saying he would “take care of it” after mentioning there was a dead person in the backseat of his car, per the court document.

Multiple reports were made to the Independence Police Department on the morning of Nov. 28 by family members of Murray, who were worried she had possibly been shot or was dead.

Because of the circumstances, Independence police entered Murray as a missing person.

The following day, Nov. 29, Independence was notified about a death investigation in Kansas City. Investigators were able to match the description of the deceased to Murray.

Murray’s girlfriend told investigators the night, Nov. 27 into Nov. 28, started with her, her cousin, Murray and Phillips going to multiple family locations, having a good time listening to music and taking shots.

Shortly before 3 a.m., Phillips said he had to abruptly take everyone home.

Phillips dropped off the cousin before heading toward Independence to take Murray home.

When he arrived, the girlfriend got out to open the door for Murray to exit. That’s when Phillips shot Murray.

RELATED | KSHB 41 confirms murder suspect worked for Raytown School District in 2025

The girlfriend told police Phillips said he was told to kill her, and he refused to go to a hospital. She also said Phillips threatened she would be next if she didn’t get back in the car.

Phillips drove the two to their uncle’s residence, where the victim ran inside. Once Phillips left, she called police.

Surveillance video from the intersection of 23rd Street and Liberty in Independence captured the shooting, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Nov. 28.

A court document stated the footage captured the sound of three gunshots and at least two muzzle flashes from inside the vehicle.

Investigators located the phones of Murray and Phillips in gas station trash receptacles. But through historical cell phone data, investigators were able to determine Phillip’s phone pinged in the area where Murray’s body was located about 90 minutes after the shooting.

Additionally, the neighbor’s Ring video captured Phillips telling a story around 10:15 p.m. Nov. 27 about a gay man who was shot in the face in Florida.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office reports Phillips is not in custody.

As law enforcement continues to work to locate him, anyone with information is urged to call Independence police at 816-325-7300.

Anonymous tips can be called in at 816-474-8477 or submitted online at kccrimestoppers.com.

—

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.