DeAiris Poindexter

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Kansas City Police Department (MO)

Missing From:

Kansas City, Missouri

Summary:

De'Airis Poindexter, 34, is wanted for a November 2024 shooting that killed 26-year-old Michelle Donato and injured another woman. He was charged in April 2026 with second-degree murder, second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action. He remains at large.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On November 25, 2024 at 8:24 p.m., a homicide occurred in the 1300 block of West Bluff Drive in Kansas City, Missouri. Just before 8:25 p.m., first responders were called to the area of W. Bluff Dr. and Avenida Cesar E Chavez with reports of a shooting. According to a probable cause statement, the violence began as a neighborhood dispute that quickly escalated. Investigators say the victim had been arguing with a neighbor and the neighbor's house guests. She called her family to come over in case the situation turned physical. When her family arrived, the police indicated that the verbal confrontation intensified. A witness told them that someone in the group began pepper-spraying people, triggering a physical fight. During the brawl, detectives say Poindexter allegedly struck the victim while two other women held her by the hair. Investigators add that Poindexter then pulled a firearm from his hoodie pocket and fired four to five shots at her and the surrounding group. KCPD says Poindexter then sped off in a white Dodge Durango, striking another vehicle on the way. Officers en route to the scene spotted a silver Kia Spectra heading east on Avenida Cesar E. Chavez. The car stopped for officers, who found two women who had been shot inside the vehicle. The women were taken to a hospital, where one, later identified as Donato, was pronounced dead.

Additional Details:

Michelle Donato, 26, died; her mother survived. Donato was a mother of six. According to court records filed in Jackson County, Poindexter's DNA was located on multiple casings from bullets located at the crime scene. KCPD notes that a witness also photographed the Durango's license plate as it fled. That plate led officers back to Poindexter. Officers later located the vehicle abandoned and unoccupied on the second level of a nearby parking garage after a 911 caller reported seeing it pull in. Investigators add that the vehicle had damage to the front and passenger side, with the front right tire hanging off. Poindexter was arrested in March of 2025. On March 11, 2025, court records show that Poindexter was arrested and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold for homicide. Investigators note that Poindexter requested an attorney before they could read him his Miranda rights. The interview was stopped and he was booked into detention. It remains unclear when or why Poindexter was released from custody. Poindexter was later charged in April 2026. He was previously a convicted felon in the state of Missouri for shooting at or from a vehicle. A $100,000 cash-only bond is attached to the warrant.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 10, 2026