Prosecutors say the teen was shot in a car in Independence and found dead a day later.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Elayjah Murray, a college student reported missing over Thanksgiving weekend, after prosecutors unsealed the case to help police find him, officials said.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said Eric R. Phillips II also faces charges of armed criminal action and abandoning a corpse. A judge set bond at $350,000 cash only. Phillips was charged in early December, but the case stayed under seal for weeks while investigators tried to locate him, authorities said.
Police and prosecutors describe a timeline that began before dawn on Nov. 28, 2025, in Independence, Missouri. Court records say investigators received information that a victim had been shot multiple times inside a vehicle earlier that morning. Detectives worked leads to locate the vehicle and to confirm the identity of the person who fired the shots, according to officials.
Investigators said Murray was first treated as a missing person because of the circumstances surrounding the report and the difficulty in locating her. In a statement released by the prosecutor’s office, Johnson said detectives used witness accounts and surveillance footage to identify Phillips as the shooter. Officials said the evidence includes video that captured Phillips more than once while he carried a firearm.
Authorities said audio from a Ring-style doorbell camera also played a role. Court records described footage that captured the sound of gunfire from the area where the vehicle was reported to have been when the shooting happened. Prosecutors said those pieces, along with witness reports, helped build the case that was filed under seal on Dec. 3, 2025.
Police said Murray’s body was found the next day, Nov. 29, 2025, in Kansas City. The prosecutor’s office said Phillips’ cell phone connected to towers in the area where Murray’s body was located, information investigators used as they tracked the suspect’s movements after the shooting.
Johnson’s office said Phillips remained out of custody as of the day the charges were unsealed, and law enforcement was still working to locate him. Prosecutors said they opened the case publicly on Feb. 25, 2026, to enlist help from the community and to increase the chances someone recognizes Phillips and reports his whereabouts.
Murray’s family has pushed for answers since she disappeared. Her mother, Lezlie Collins, told KCTV that Murray came home from college for Thanksgiving and left with a friend while Collins was cooking dinner. She did not return. Collins said the loss has shaken the entire family and left them trying to explain to Murray’s 3-year-old sibling why she is not coming back.
“She was just taken from me, unfair,” Collins said in an interview. Collins also called directly on Phillips to surrender and said she wants the case to move forward in court. Collins described Murray as driven and focused on school, and said her daughter was studying nursing and had already completed clinical work and prerequisite classes while still in high school.
Public records in the case outline the steps detectives took as they tried to connect the missing-person report to the shooting. Prosecutors said officers began with witness statements and surveillance video tied to the reported location in Independence. Investigators then expanded their search to Kansas City as information developed, including phone data connected to Phillips, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The charges filed against Phillips carry different burdens for prosecutors, including proving deliberation for first-degree murder. Johnson’s office said prosecutors believed they could meet that burden based on the evidence gathered. Still, the prosecutor’s office noted Phillips is presumed innocent unless he is convicted in court.
In the weeks after Murray was found, investigators continued to ask for help locating Phillips. Police in late 2025 described him publicly as a person of interest as they tried to gather more tips, locate witnesses, and track down any video that could fill gaps in the timeline. Authorities have not described a motive in public statements, and no attorney for Phillips was identified in the court records cited by the prosecutor’s office.
The unsealing of the case is an early procedural step that can happen even when a defendant is not in custody. Prosecutors can file charges, request an arrest warrant, and ask a judge to set bond while investigators continue searching for a suspect, legal experts often note. In this case, the prosecutor’s office said the seal was used in part because law enforcement had not located Phillips.
Investigators have not said where Phillips may have gone since the shooting, and officials did not release details about any recent confirmed sightings. Authorities also have not publicly described whether they believe Phillips left the Kansas City area. Police said they are still reviewing tips and following leads as they work to bring him into custody.
For Murray’s family, the public filing marked a painful milestone. Collins said she wants the person responsible held accountable and said her daughter’s name should not fade from view as the case moves through the system. She described Murray as someone who loved school, loved being around people, and stayed close to her siblings.
As of late Wednesday, officials said the case remained open and Phillips was still being sought. The next major step will be Phillips’ arrest and an initial court appearance, where a judge would review bond and schedule future hearings in Jackson County.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 26, 2026.