Police investigating the murder-suicide of a man and a woman found in Missouri woods made another shocking discovery: one of them was responsible for the double murder of two researchers two weeks earlier.
Although no motive for the three slayings has been made public, prosecutors announced that they believe Kevin Ray Moore, 42, was responsible for all of them.
The deadly trail began on Oct. 1 when Camila Behrensen, 24, and Pablo Guzman-Palma, 25—who worked together at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research—were found dead in their Kansas City apartment after a fire.
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TV station KSHB reported earlier this week that a fire marshal’s report revealed the fire was set to cover up a crime. Authorities had previously said the pair suffered trauma unrelated to the fire.
Behrensen, described as “a brilliant young woman with a vibrant intellect” by the Stowers Institute, was from Argentina and had spent two years studying metabolic changes in fruit flies as part of her postdoctoral research.
Palma, called a “a gentle soul” by the institute, was from Chile and was researching spinal cord regeneration.
After their bodies were found, police revealed that investigators wanted to examine an Alexa device in the apartment that might have captured conversations between them and their killer.
But who might have murdered the pair remained a mystery until this week, when the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced that the Kansas City Police Department and its Crime Lab had solved the double homicide.
“A Kansas City Police Department investigation has established that on or about Oct. 1, 2022, Kevin Ray Moore, dob: 5/25/1980 (now deceased), caused the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and intentionally set their apartment on fire,” the prosecutor said in a statement.
“Due to the efforts of KCPD and, in particular, the Crime Lab, KCPD used phone and computer data, surveillance videos, ballistic testing as well as DNA tests to determine the cause of the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and to determine that Moore was the suspect.”
Then prosecutors revealed that Moore was the same person found dead in Clay County as part of a murder-suicide that was still under investigation.
The victim in that case was Misty Brockman, 40, described in a GoFundMe as a mother of five young boys. It’s not clear whether Brockman knew Moore or the slain researchers.
CeeJae Coberley, a close friend of Brockman and the creator of the fundraiser, said friends had organized a balloon release to honor her memory on Thursday.
“We ask that you respect the family and continue to spread love and not hate, during this difficult time,” she wrote.
“We want her to be remembered for her laughter, love and loyalty! Not for the destruction this man left in the wake of his actions. She was a lover, jokester, and loyal friend to the end. We will love her forever ❤️”
