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May 14, 2024St. Joseph, Mo. |  By: Jeremy Werner

St. Joseph teen pleads guilty in connection with deadly shooting

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - A St. Joseph teenager has plead guilty to second-degree murder.

17-year-old Kaden Wilfong's guilty plea revolves around the shooting death of 15-year-old Carter Smith near the St. Joseph REC Center during a robbery.

The incident unfolded on June 15, 2023, when St. Joseph police responded to a shots fired call, discovering Carter's body in the southbound lane of 28th Street, dead from a gunshot wound.

Investigation led officers to execute a search warrant at Wilfong’s residence, where they discovered crucial evidence, including the firearm used in the shooting, bloody clothing, and the victim’s duffel bag stained with blood.

Wilfong's sentencing is scheduled for July. Meanwhile, the cases of two other defendants, 19-year-old Jackson Griffith of Country Club and 18-year-old Teontre Kirby of St. Joseph, are also in progress.

Kirby is set for a court appearance on Friday, while Griffith awaits a trial setting in early June.