Missouri Man Charged With Murdering Business Partner Buried in Concrete Basement

William Morrison, 63, allegedly shot Jonathan Brown in the back of the head and concealed his remains under freshly poured concrete. Cadaver dogs led investigators to the body.

Business Partner Found Executed Beneath Concrete Slab in Kansas City-Area Basement

A 63-year-old Missouri man has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after the remains of his business partner were found buried under a newly poured concrete slab in the basement of a property he owned, Law & Crime reports. William Morrison is currently held without bond in the Jackson County Detention Center.

The victim, 45-year-old Jonathan Brown, was reported missing in May. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office confirmed the charges in a press release. A probable cause statement filed by prosecutors outlines how detectives pieced together Brown's final hours.

Last seen leaving for "concrete work"

Brown was last captured on surveillance footage on the night of May 10, arriving on foot at an excavation and demolition company around 11:30 p.m. Minutes later, he and another man were seen departing together in an older white sedan. A witness told police Brown left that same evening with Morrison — specifically to carry out basement construction work at the defendant's residence.

A tenant living at the property confirmed that Brown and Morrison showed up that night to dig holes and prepare for concrete. At Morrison's request, she left to pick up a Taco Bell delivery order. When she returned to the basement with the food, Brown was gone. Morrison told her the victim had "left with an unknown female."

Surveillance footage from a neighboring property supported her account. It showed a white sedan arriving late on the night of May 10 and not leaving until after 3 a.m. the following morning. The only other vehicle to briefly approach the house during that period activated its hazard lights — behavior, investigators noted in the charging document, "consistent with a food delivery vehicle."

"Do dirt car" and a hidden wallet

Detectives spoke with a second woman connected to Morrison who "appeared frightened" during conversations about the defendant and Brown's disappearance, according to the probable cause statement. She identified a white Buick sedan as a vehicle associated with Morrison and said he himself referred to it as his "do dirt car."

As the investigation developed, police also learned that Morrison had exerted substantial control over Brown's financial life. Witnesses described the defendant as "exercising influence over" the victim's "finances, housing, and business activities," with the two men involved in ongoing financial dealings tied to "settlement money and business ventures."

Brown had maintained close contact with family, friends, and his children up until his disappearance. The last message his mother received from him was a "Happy Mother's Day" text sent on the day he vanished — May 10.

Cadaver dogs, excavation, and a single bullet

As part of the search operation, detectives deployed cadaver dogs at the residence. Two dogs independently alerted to the presence of human remains near the northwest corner of a freshly poured concrete slab in the basement, as well as near a dirt pile on the east side of the same slab, according to the charging document.

After excavating the area, investigators recovered Brown's remains. He had been killed by a single gunshot to the back of the head.

On the same day the body was found, one of Morrison's employees came forward with additional information. The employee said Morrison had directed him to a wallet containing a large amount of cash, hidden in an air duct at the defendant's residence. After checking the driver's license inside and identifying the wallet's owner, the employee left the money untouched, telling investigators he "did not want anything to do with it."

Court date set for September

Morrison, who was booked into the Jackson County Detention Center, is being held without bond. His next scheduled court appearance is September 8.

The case was brought by the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office following an investigation led by the Independence Police Department, which first made contact with a motorcycle club leader who provided information about Brown's possible whereabouts — information that, investigators later determined, had originated with Morrison himself.

Source: Law & Crime