KCPD Dismissed Community Activists’ Claims Of Serial Killer Hunting Black Women, Black Rape Victim Escapes 'Sex Dungeon' Confirming Valid Concerns

When community activists rung the alarm about black women being kidnapped and murdered, the Kansas City Police Department deemed the “rumors” as “unfounded.” A woman who escaped a sex dungeon after being kidnapped by a white man now confirms the community’s concerns. There was a serial killer killing Black women in the community and the police were quick to dismiss it. Details inside…

Community leaders and activists in Kansas City, Missouri began to ring the alarm about a possible serial killer in their community. Initially, the Kansas City Police Department dismissed and denied that there were Black women being killed and kidnapped from the area of Prospect Avenue.

The nonprofit newspaper The Kansas City Defender reported another troubling aspect of the case. Community members reportedly expressed concern about a possible serial killer around the time of the woman's disappearance from a Kansas City neighborhood, citing the disappearance of multiple Black women and girls.

Most recently, a woman made a harrowing escape from a “sex dungeon” in a Missouri basement after she was sexually assaulted and held captive for weeks. Her escape confirmed concerns from community activists that Black women were being held captive and murdered by a serial killer.

Last Friday, a 22-year-old Black woman escaped bondage after being kidnapped and sexually assaulted in a basement of an Excelsior Springs, Missouri man’s home. The male suspect has been identified as Timothy Haslett Jr., a white 39-year old male.

According to the woman, he whipped and raped her repeatedly. She was able to make her escape after about a month of being captured. The woman was able to escape after the man took his child to school. After breaking free, the woman sought help from neighbors, knocking on their doors for entry.

Ciara Tharp told The Excelsior Citizen that her grandmother provided the woman food and a blanket after bringing her inside Tharp’s home. When she escaped, the victim was still wearing a metal collar locked with a padlock that authorities had to remove. The woman said Timothy killed her friends.

 “She made the comment about her friends. That they didn’t make it and that he had killed them,” Ciara Tharp said. “I’m really hoping that they find evidence about her friends. If anything, she can have closure about her friends. I just hope they can find everything they need to.”

According to the Clay County Prosecutor Probable Cause Statement, T.J. reported that “Timothy had kept her in a small room in the basement that he had built. He kept her restrained in handcuffs on her wrists and ankles.” In addition, Haslett “whipped her while she was restrained…there were injuries on her back that were consistent with this description.” Court documents further say, “she was able to get free when he left to take his child to school.”

In September, The Kansas City Defender published a video of Bishop Tony Caldwell, a local Kansas City community leader who was one of many in the Black Kansas City community who reported the murders and disappearances of numerous Black women, where he talked about a serial killer being on the loose.

Bishop Caldwell specifically stated in the video (that has gone viral) that the missing Black women were being taken from a location on Prospect Avenue in Kansas City. Watch the clip below:

Kansas City Police Department called the claims "completely unfounded" at the time, saying in a statement that "there is no basis to support this rumor." Local media reported the police’s claims:

KCPD made a statement addressing the community testimonies and called them “completely unfounded rumors,” dismissing the concerns.

Local news outlets followed suit, in essence, silencing any ongoing community voices which maintained concern of the missing Black women. pic.twitter.com/Fzy5qjPlAK

— The Kansas City Defender (@KCDefender) October 15, 2022

Yesterday (Oct. 15th), police spokesperson Officer Donna Drake told HuffPost that the department made its prior statement because it had not received any formal missing person reports.

“We base our investigations on reports made to our department,” she said in an email. “There have been no reports made to our department of missing persons, more specifically women, missing from Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. In order to begin a missing person’s investigation, someone would need to file a report with our department identifying the missing party.”

Kansas City Defender spoke with Bishop Tony Caldwell after the woman’s escape and he talked about how he still doesn’t have an open line of communication with the police.

“That was the description of the guy we were talking about and that was the location we said they were being taken from. That’s exactly what we were telling people. I’m just sorry that it took so long, but I’m grateful that she found a way out. I’m sorry people didn’t act on it sooner, and it’s absolutely tragic that the other young ladies didn’t make it. It’s horrible."

"At first the police said there was no evidence of a serial killer or any young ladies missing.

"We get a lot of information because we’re right on the street level. A lot of times we are even trying to give the police information so they can act on it, because the people in the street don’t trust them and now we can see that’s rightfully so.

"The families are heartbroken and now they are even more mad. Because something could have been done back then. There’s a possibility their loved ones could have been saved if folks would have acted back when our community was first making these reports, instead of waiting for the young lady to escape. If she didn’t escape we would’ve never known, truly, we would’ve never known this was happening."

Watch the full interview below:

Sadly, we're shocked but not surprised.  LISTEN TO (BLACK) WOMEN.

Photos: Bill Lukitsch/The Kansas City Star via AP/CCSD/Kansas City Defender's YouTube