20-year-old man pleads no contest to first-degree murder in the shooting death of 19-year-old girl in Independence

Montgomery County, KANSAS – According to the court documents, his name is Benjamin Mason and he pleaded no contest to first-degree murder for a 2019 shooting death of 19-year-old Kimberly Meeks.

The 20-year-old defendant pleaded guilty on Monday.

District Court. Judge Cullins accepted the plea to one count of first-degree murder.

The 20-year-old defendant will be sentenced on Feb. 15, 2022.

Prosecutors said the 19-year-old victim and a man had been walking when a person fired gunshots at them and drove away.

Meeks was shot and killed in Independence, prosecutors said.

This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.