You need a scorecard to keep track of the four legal cases pending against David Jungerman, and I’ve decided to give you one.
There is, of course, the pending criminal case in Barton County — attempted burglary and harassment — that could go to trial yet this year, but more likely early next year. Then there are three civil damage cases, including the one in which the murdered attorney Thomas Pickert represented a homeless man whom Jungerman shot and badly injured in September 2012.
In the Pickert murder, Jungerman is famously “not a suspect at this time” in the official lingo of the KCPD. That wording has scared off much of the local media, including The Kansas City Star, which has not written a word about the case in more than three weeks.
But I’m on it, as you know, and here’s the lineup of cases and their current status:
State of Missouri vs. David Jungerman
Jungerman is charged with a felony count of attempted burglary and one or two misdemeanor harassment counts for barging into a tenant’s home near Nevada, MO, last year and demanding to know — while brandishing a handgun in his waistband — when his tenant was going to vacate the premises. (His exact words were, “When are you getting out of here, you mother fucker?”)
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14 in Lamar, MO, the seat of Barton County. The case was originally filed in Vernon County but was transferred to Barton County last year. At different times, two different attorneys have represented Jungerman in this case. His first lawyer withdrew earlier this year, and the second withdrew six days after after Pickert was shot to death outside his Brookside home on Oct. 25.
Since early last month, Jungerman, a multi-millionaire, has been representing himself, but he has told the judge he has been attempting to hire a lawyer. Judge David Munton effectively told Jungerman he would be better off with just about any lawyer than representing himself.
Another interesting development in this case is that on Nov. 22, Vernon County Prosecutor Brandi McInroy filed a motion to endorse as a witness in the case KCPD Detective Nicholas Sola. In her motion, McInroy said she wanted Sola to testify “for sentencing purposes,” that is, assuming a jury convicts Jungerman. Sola is assigned to missing persons and cold cases, and I don’t know if he has played any role in the Pickert investigation. In any event, it would be interesting to hear what he has to say, if Jungerman is convicted. He could be sentenced, upon conviction, to seven years in prison for attempted burglary, and I have every reason to believe McInroy will be doing everything she can to get the maximum sentence. She’s already told the Judge Munton she doesn’t want Jungerman standing near her in the courtroom.
Jeffery Harris vs. David Jungerman
This is the case in which Pickert gained a $5.75 million verdict in favor of his client, a homeless man whom Jungerman shot with an assault rifle on Sept. 25, 2012, at a building he owns in northeast Kansas City. Harris was hit in the leg and had to have it amputated above the knee.
Jungerman represented himself in this case, but a lawyer named Jonathan Sternberg filed an appeal on his behalf on Sept. 22. Jungerman did not post an appeal bond, however, which allowed court officials to begin taking steps to seize enough of Jungerman’s property to satisfy the $5.75 million judgment.
Unwisely, Jungerman represented himself in the Harris case, and after the jury returned the verdict, he directed an “angry outburst” at Pickert and other court officials. I don’t know if he threatened Pickert, but I’m sure police know exactly what was said.
Robert Wallace vs. David Jungerman
Wallace is the other man whom Jungerman shot on Sept. 25, 2012. A Kansas City lawyer named L. Benjamin Mook filed suit on behalf of Wallace on Sept. 22 of this year. The petition alleges that Jungerman “ambushed the men” and shot both with an assault rifle “from inside the building as they stood outside on or near a covered loading dock.”
On Nov. 8, exactly two weeks after Pickert was murdered, Mook filed a motion to withdraw from the case. No one else has entered an appearance on behalf of Wallace, and the future of this case in doubt.
Justin Baker vs. David Jungerman
You would think that after shooting two trespassers in September 2012, Jungerman would have learned it’s better to call police and let them deal with trespassers. But that’s not Jungerman’s style. Less than a month later, on Oct. 21, 2012, he came upon two more trespassers — this time they were apparently inside his building — and he unloaded on them with a shotgun. Kansas City attorney Jarrett A. Johnson filed suit on behalf of Baker, one of the men shot, on Oct. 20, five days before Pickert was murdered.
Justin Baker
Baker got some press early last month when he recounted his story to a Fox4 News reporter. Last week, the court clerk filed a motion to dismiss the case because some paperwork was not filed on a timely basis, but Johnson told me today the case is alive and well and that he continues to actively represent Baker.
I will be updating these cases as developments occur.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Speaking of being “on it”, wonder if there will be words written about the Costco shooter and aftermath. Do you have room on your plate for another expose? :)
Not sure “expose” is accurate, Gayle. Just tracking the public records, talking to a few sources and making sure some people know what’s going on with the guy who had the biggest motive — as far as we know, anyway — to kill Pickert.
By the way, as time goes by and no charges are filed against anyone else, the arrow points ever more strongly at Jungerman.
…And, no, I’m not on the Costco case.
And apparently have no interest.
Was just trying to be a little humorous by using that word. Guess it didn’t translate.
Great job, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Thanks for this series of articles on the Pickert case. BTW- ever since The Star was gutted of real reporters, their coverage, for lack of a better term, sucks!
Thanks, Chuck…Welcome to the Comments Dept.
No need to call me “Mister.” We’re pretty informal around here.
Your comment about The Star is overly sweeping. They can still do some great work — like the Secrecy in Kansas series — they just shoot with a rifle now, instead of with shotguns, AK-47s, cannons and multiple other weapons. The Star used to lead the way on local coverage and set the agenda for the TV stations. That’s not the case any more. It’s a big loss for the public.
…Today, The Star laid off food editor Jill Silva, who has done great work for many years. In an email, she said her last day is Dec. 15. She will have no trouble getting a job elsewhere or starting an enterprise of her own. My question is: What is The Star planning to do with food coverage? Drop it?
Another reported casualty is cartoonist Lee Judge. He avoided the ax several years ago and the editorial page will get along fine without him. I wasn’t a big fan.
The Star still has some great reporters. The problem is that there simply is not enough of them. And they are having to cover about five times as many beats as they did before the downsizing. A decade ago, the newsroom had at least 7 or 8 reporters whose beats were devoted primarily to police departments/crime. I don’t know what that number is today, but I’m going to guess 2 or 3. The lack of coverage of certain news stories is the result of the parent company’s decision to cut staff. That decision, in this former reporter’s opinion, has been a terrible disservice to the community.
I’ve subscribed to The Star for most of my adult life and it was always more in-depth, organized and insightful than the television news. That’s why I kept re-subscribing. The present-day version of The Star takes a back seat to TV and social media, in my view, and I’m considering dropping it..Nowadays, the number of grammatical errors, misspellings and even non-alphabetized obituaries keeps climbing. (Did they fire all the proof readers too?)
Shaking my head!
Yes, they got rid of most of the copy editors, the people who review stories for style and accuracy and produce the headlines. Many papers have done that, mostly to reduce the time it takes to get stories into view.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article188639104.html
Star just broke an interesting story on Mike Sanders. Did you ever catch any wind of this Jim?
No, I didn’t, Patrick.
Here’s a line that caught my eye: “The arrangement is the subject of a federal investigation that may be coming to a close after more than four years, The Star has learned.”
Four years? How’d they keep it quiet for four years? If The Star still had a federal courts reporter — somebody who went there every day and worked the sources — it would not have taken four years for this to surface.
…This is disappointing on another level, too. Independence has produced more than its share of crooked politicians, and I had hoped Mike Sanders was different. I don’t want to jump to the conclusion he was accepting kickbacks, but it doesn’t look good.