JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On Friday, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her office had secured a guilty verdict against Kenneth Lee Simpson for the shooting death of a law enforcement officer.
A jury found Simpson guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
Jurors also unanimously agreed that Simpson should be sentenced to death.
Presiding Judge Craig Hellmann will issue Simpson’s formal sentence on the first-degree murder conviction, and will sentence Simpson on the remaining counts, at a later date.
“Today’s verdict brings accountability, but it does not bring closure. We remember two law enforcement officers – one who made the ultimate sacrifice and another whose life is forever changed. We continue to hold their family, loved ones, and fellow brothers and sisters in blue in our thoughts and prayers,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Throughout this process, our responsibility has been to pursue justice with care and resolve. We honor these heroes by standing with those who serve and by upholding the rule of law even in the hardest moments.”
On March 12, 2023, Hermann Police Department Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith and Officer Adam Sullentrup were notified that a man, later identified as Kenneth Simpson, had warrants for his arrest and was at the Casey’s gas station in Hermann, Missouri. As Detective Sgt. Griffith and Officer Sullentrup attempted to take Simpson into custody, Simpson produced a 40 caliber pistol, and fired a total of eight times, shooting both officers. Det. Sgt. Griffith passed away from his injuries and Officer Sullentrup was severely injured. Simpson fled the scene, and after a 16-hour standoff with local law enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol along Missouri Route 19, Simpson was taken into custody.
Jurors heard from more than 65 witnesses and reviewed the officers’ body camera footage and the gas station’s surveillance footage before reaching their verdicts. Det. Sgt. Griffith’s and Officer Sullentrup’s friends and family members testified about the impact the crimes had on them, their families, as well as on Hermann, Rosebud, and Gasconade County.
Chief Counsel and Assistant Attorney General Gregory M. Goodwin and Deputy Chief Counsel and Assistant Attorney General Tristin M. Estep prosecuted the case with assistance from Victim Advocate Carrie Boessen and Investigators Rob Jauer and Tiffany Lindewirth. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in conjunction with the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office.