Man charged with murder in Parrot-fa-Nalia killing is bound over for trial

The man charged with killing a 17-year-old West High School student in the basement party rental space of Parrot-fa-Nalia Unique Boutique last spring was bound over for trial Wednesday on counts of first-degree premeditated murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Prosecutors during the preliminary hearing presented evidence alleging 41-year-old Grover James intentionally shot Leon McClennon early on May 9 after James pulled a weapon during a friend’s birthday party at 1719 S. Hillside. At the time of McClennon’s killing last year, police said the teen had been struck by a stray bullet after gunfire broke out.

But Sedgwick County Chief Deputy District Attorney Kim Parker and Assistant District Attorney Mandee Schauf showed a cellphone video in court that captured McClennon’s uncle describing the shooting in detail to a group of people shortly after his nephew died.

In the footage, Rance Kindred tells the group that his friend “Boo” – whom he acknowledged while on the witness stand was James – had been invited to his 45th birthday party and got into an argument with Kindred’s son, who was with McClennon that night.

James, he says in the video, left the party but returned with a gun and confronted Kindred’s son and McClennon. Kindred says in the video that he told James to put the gun away and fistfight with the pair instead.

But seconds later, he continues in the footage, James pulled a gun from a pocket and fired once at the ceiling, then turned the gun on McClennon, pulling the trigger as the teen ran for the door.

Surveillance footage from Parrot-fa-Nalia shown during Wednesday’s hearing captured McClennon running for the entrance of the rental space and falling after he was shot. It also shows James walking past McClennon’s body to leave the building. The shooting itself occurred off camera.

Wichita police Detective Robert Chisholm testified that police quickly identified James as the shooter through witness descriptions, interviews and the cellphone and surveillance videos. James was arrested on a warrant in Oklahoma City and charged with McClennon’s murder in October.

At the close of Wednesday’s hearing, District Judge David Kaufman bound James over as charged and set his jury trial for Feb. 16. The date is an initial setting and will likely be moved.

James has pleaded not guilty. He remained in Sedgwick County Jail on Wednesday in lieu of $500,000 bond.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Man charged with murder in Parrot-fa-Nalia killing is bound over for trial."