Brandon Howell accused of killing Susan Choucroun, Lorene Hurst and Darrel Hurst

Jackson County prosecutors have accused Brandon Howell of committing Tuesday’s triple homicide. 

Howell, 34, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder; four counts of armed criminal action; two counts of first-degree assault; and one count each of first-degree burglary, first-offense stealing of a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of a firearm. 

The homicide victims have been identified as 69-year-old Susan Choucroun, 88-year-old Lorene Hurst and her son, 63-year-old Darrel Hurst. 

Here’s what happened, according to the Kansas City Police Department’s probable-cause statement:

Officers responded to No. 1 East Woodbridge Lane around 12:50 p.m. on a call from a woman saying, “Help at address, shotgun,” before the call was disconnected.

When officers arrived, they found Choucroun shot to death in the driveway of No. 3 East Woodbridge Lane. Officers entered No. 1 East Woodbridge Lane and in the basement found a man and a woman who had been assaulted. Both were taken to local hospitals where they were listed in critical condition. 

Officers canvassed the area and found the Hursts’ bodies in the front yard of No. 7 Woodbridge Lane. Police later found a spent 12-gauge shotgun shell near the Hursts.

Witnesses told police that they heard several gunshots and then saw a beige Toyota Highlander heading south from the scene. One witness saw the vehicle stop in front of No. 3 East Woodbridge Lane, and a man exit the vehicle with a “long gun” and shoot Choucroun once before fleeing.  

The suspect was described as a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. 

At 3:49 p.m., officers were called to a Motel 6 at 8230 Prairie View Road where three people claimed that a black male suspect followed them to their room, asking for a cigarette. The man entered their motel room, shut the door and allegedly began assaulting two of the people. They ran. The man chased after them and punched a woman in the face.

The suspect allegedly chased another of the victims out of the motel and into the parking lot, where he attempted to assault the person and then fled the scene on foot, jumping over a fence and heading south. 

The suspect was described as from 6-foot to 6-foot-4-inches tall and 180 pounds with a beard, black shirt, and black or dark jeans.

Officers found the stolen Toyota Highlander at around 3:52 p.m. in the parking lot of El Bistro while canvassing the assault scene.

Around 11:49 p.m., officers responded to a suspicious-person call at Interstate 29 and Northwest Barry Road. The person was described as wearing a jean jacket and a hoodie. In the area, officers found Howell, who was wearing a black coat with a hood, a black shirt and blue pants.

An officer reported that Howell had his right hand at his side cupping his pant leg as if he were holding something up inside his pant leg. Inside Howell’s right pant leg, court records say, was a black Mossberg model 500A 12-gauge shotgun. The gun was loaded with four shells and ready to use. 

Inside Howell’s pocket, officers found two red spent shotgun shells and Toyota vehicle keys. Howell was taken into custody.

Howell was placed in a photo lineup around 2 a.m. Two of the three alleged victims from the Motel 6 positively identified Howell. The third person couldn’t ID him.

Around 4:36 a.m. Wednesday, Howell refused to speak with detectives without an attorney present.

A search warrant was served on Howell’s property at 5 a.m. Detectives took the Toyota key to the tow lot where the victim’s Toyota Highlander was being held. Detectives verified that the key in Howell’s pocket was a match for the SUV. 

A firearms trace revealed that the shotgun found on Howell had been purchased by him on January 31, 2000. On September 6, 2000, Howell was convicted of felony counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, attempted aggravated robbery, and misdemeanor cruelty to animals in another case in Johnson County, Kansas.