Prominent Kansas City attorney shot to death on front porch

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A prominent Kansas City lawyer was found murdered on the front porch of his home Wednesday morning, reports CBS affiliate KCTV.

Police are looking for the person who killed 39-year-old attorney Tom Pickert, who was shot and killed on his front porch around 8 a.m., just after returning from a walk.

KCTV reports that a van seen speeding away from the scene of Pickert's shooting, and later found in a nearby town, was registered to David Jungerman, a local businessman who had recently been ordered to pay Pickert's client more than $5 million for shooting the man in the leg. A spokesperson for Kansas City Police told CBS News' Crimesider that Jungerman is not a suspect or a person of interest at this time. 

Pickert was a medical malpractice attorney with his own law firm. This summer, Pickert represented Jeffrey Harris, a homeless man who was shot in the leg by Jungerman after he tripped the alarm at his property.

KCTV reports that Harris' attorneys say Jungerman grabbed an AK-47 and handgun and headed to his property without calling police.

"He was looking for a place to bed down that night," said Ryan Fowler, an attorney. "Mr. Jungerman said, yeah, I shot him. I shot him intentionally. But I shot him because he was inside my warehouse charging at me, so I was acting in self-defense." 

Pickert helped win the case for his client, and Jungerman was ordered to pay $5,750,000. 

According to the Kansas City Star, court officials began seizing Jungerman's property last week to pay the judgment.

Pickert is survived by his wife and two sons.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.