Inset left: Rasheed Turner (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office). Inset right: Layla Freeman (obituary). Background: The Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where Turner fatally shot Freeman (Google Maps).
A Missouri man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his former girlfriend after luring her to a meeting on her 21st birthday, authorities in the Show-Me State said.
Rasheed Turner, 26, was convicted in August by a Jackson County jury of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the May 2025 death of Layla Freeman, 21.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Adam Caine sentenced Turner on Wednesday to life in prison without parole for the murder. He also imposed an additional 15-year sentence for armed criminal action, which will run consecutively.
Freeman was killed on May 13, 2025, near West 37th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City.
Police responding to a shooting that night found Freeman near a parked Chevrolet Malibu with multiple gunshot wounds. She had been shot several times and was bleeding heavily.
A preliminary investigation indicated that Freeman “had an interaction with one or more suspects” before the deadly shooting, according to a police report obtained by Kansas City-based Fox affiliate WDAF.
Turner was taken into custody on May 28, 2025.
Although witnesses did not see the shooting, police said they heard the gunfire and Freeman’s screams. They told investigators that a man emerged from the Malibu immediately afterward and ran toward the driver’s side of a Ford Mustang.
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Investigators used city surveillance footage to locate the Mustang and identify Turner. Detectives also examined social media activity and text messages exchanged between Turner and Freeman before the shooting.
According to WDAF, investigators learned that Freeman’s birthday was connected to the events leading up to her death.
Freeman’s cousin told police she had spoken with Freeman on FaceTime several hours before the shooting. During that call, the cousin learned that Freeman and Turner had arranged to meet, court documents obtained by the station stated.
Turner reportedly told Freeman he wanted to see her because he had a birthday gift for her, the cousin said. About 90 minutes after the FaceTime call, the two relatives spoke again.
Freeman said she was with Turner, but she was crying and told her cousin she would call back.
She never made that call.
Freeman’s obituary described her as a compassionate woman whose faith shaped her life:
“Layla accepted Christ at 16, and her faith guided her life of service and love. Whether caring for others professionally or lifting spirits with her smile, she radiated peace and grace. Though her time was brief, her impact was lasting. Layla’s legacy of love and faith will forever be cherished by all who knew her[.]”
“Domestic violence-related homicides leave lasting harm on families and our community,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Our office works every day to hold abusers accountable and prevent these tragedies.”
