Boy, 1, died in ‘targeted’ gunfire at Wichita apartment. Mom’s ex is guilty of murder
A Wichita man has been convicted at trial of murder and other crimes in a shooting that killed his ex-girlfriend’s 1-year-old son last year.
Taidyn Anderson, who was also called Blaire Jobe, died after he was struck in the head twice by bullets fired into an apartment at Sugar Creek Apartments, 2550 S. Oliver, on Feb. 19, 2024. At the time, he was being held by his mother, who was hit in the left arm by the gunfire. Another woman was also injured. Police have previously said around 16 shots were fired in the “targeted incident.”
A probable cause affidavit released by the court says the toddler’s mother had ended her romantic relationship with K’veion Darnell Richard over abuse allegations and that Richard did “not agree to the breakup.”
The shooting happened after the mother retrieved an Amazon package from a house where she and Richard sometimes stayed together and after Richard had tried to confront and made threats toward her at the Sugar Creek address, the affidavit says. One witness told police the boy’s mother and Richard had been arguing for about a week, most recently about the package.
The shooting happened around 7:19 p.m.
A Sedgwick County jury found Richard guilty earlier this week of first-degree murder, criminal threat and two counts each of criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated battery, court records show. Richard had pleaded not guilty to the charges. His jury trial started Feb. 24.
Two other men have been charged in the boy’s death. Jonathan Tillery-Matthias, 22, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges and is scheduled for trial in May, according to court records. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to prosecute the other man, who is now 18 but was 17 at the time of the shooting, as an adult, The Eagle previously reported.
Contributing: Michael Stavola of The Eagle
