December 6, 2023, Ryan A. Gillespie, 39, Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the death of Ales Carr, a case that dates back to an incident that occurred in Independence in 2021.
According to court documents, on June 20, 2021, at his residence in Independence, MO, Ryan A. Gillespie fatally shot Ales Carr in the head stemming from an argument over drugs. Witnesses, including Carr’s family, provided details of her being with Gillespie before her death. The altercation involved a third party, Michael “Blitz” Fitzgerald, who said he struck Gillespie with a tiki-torch and threw a brick at him during the altercation to try and keep Gillispie from physically assaulting Carr.
At some point during the argument neighbors called the police. As sirens were heard, Fitzgerald fled the scene and later told investigators he heard “two or three gunshots” as he ran through neighbor’s yards. Independence Police records show they responded to a 911 call about shots fired and a broken window at a nearby residence, which tied into the sequence of events.
During the investigation, acquaintances came forward and told investigators Gillispie had come to them for help after the incident. Gillispie told them Carr was attempting to steal his van during the altercation with Fitzgerald. In his account, Gillespie told them that while trying to pull Carr out of the van, he “accidentally” shot her but insisted he had only grazed her. He told them that he’d then driven Carr to the hospital and said he’d disposed of his gun by throwing it out of the vehicle after the shooting.
Carr’s body, with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, was later found at Centerpoint Hospital. Security footage showed she was left at the hospital by a male driving a white Ford Econoline van, later identified as Gillespie.
A Missouri Department of Conservation agent located Gillespie’s van at the boat ramp near Cooley Lake the following day. The van had blood on the outside, and a search revealed large amounts of blood, tooth fragments, and personal items belonging to Carr inside the van.
Kansas City Police later found Gillespie in North Kansas City, where he was taken into custody.
Initially, Gillespie faced an additional charge of armed criminal action, but this was dismissed. In September 2023, he pled guilty to the charge of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, which he was convicted of last week. During the sentencing, the court acknowledged Gillespie’s time served, offering credit toward his seven-year prison term.
Although the incident took place in Independence, court documents list Gillispie’s home address in Excelsior Springs.
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