‘Out of the norm’: Quiet community reacts after Lee’s Summit man, woman found dead in home

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. (KCTV) - A juvenile is in custody after a husband and wife were found killed in their Lee’s Summit home.

Thedeath investigation is now being considered a double homicide.

Law enforcement officials said that around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, investigators received a request to check the welfare of two individuals, however, they were not given names.

By 8 a.m., records offices had opened, and detectives were led to a home on Churchill Street near Woods Chapel and Langsford Road just east of 291.

When investigators finally arrived, they received no answer from those inside. A search warrant had to be granted for them to enter where they eventually found the man and woman deceased.

They were identified on Friday morning as 37-year-old Nancy Ricker and 39-year-old Jesse Ricker.

Law enforcement officials said the first warrant did not include permission to gather evidence from the home, so a second search warrant had to be executed. Once that warrant was issued around 9:30 p.m., investigators were able to examine the scene.

According to neighbors, the Rickers also lived in the home with a 17-year-old son. Police told KCTV5 that the son was not there but had been ed for.

“I’ve been here three years, and this is really out of the norm,” said Hannah Maricle, a nearby neighbor. “There’s some things that happen down here with police, but never a death or a homicide before.”

Investigators worked through the night to gather evidence and process the scene. By 10:30 a.m., April 10, they confirmed a double homicide.

“It just made me sick to my stomach,” neighbor Therese Sullivan said. “It’s, you know, it’s a pretty quiet little neighborhood.”

“Yesterday was kind of shocking to see the police presence that we had all the way up and down the street.”

The feeling of shock reverberated throughout the community.

“It was just really shocking because nothing really happens down here,” Maricle continued. “It’s a safe area, and we’ve met him a couple of times - at least the man - and it’s been friendly. So, we were just kind of really shocked and surprised.”

And with a newborn at home, Maricle said the incident makes her think a little differently about her neighborhood.

“It was like, ‘Oh, I really need to keep her safe and think about where I walk around too in the neighborhood,‘” she noted.

The name of the juvenile in custody have yet to be released.

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