A criminal case I have written about for months is over.
Fifty-one-year-old Terry A. Gray, who was charged with two counts of causing death while driving under the influence of marijuana and two counts of DWI resulting in serious physical injury, died earlier this week.
I got a tip about this startling development this afternoon, and Mike Mansur, spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed it.
Mansur said he had been informed of Gray’s death by Dan Portnoy, the assistant prosecutor who had been handling the case.
Gray had made his first court appearance Feb. 6 and was scheduled to return to court today. He was free on a face-amount bond of $75,000, which he had made by paying a bond service $7,500.
One of his attorneys, John P. O’Connor, said Gray was taken ill recently and died — to the best of his understanding — Monday.
O’Connor and Mansur said they had no other details.
Terry Gray, when he appeared in court Feb. 6
O’Connor said the last time he or his son, P.J. O’Connor, who was also representing Gray, were in contact with Gray was late last week, when they exchanged texts with him.
John O’Connor said he knew little about Gray other than that he was a veteran of the Armed Services.
**
On the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2017, Gray was driving to his home in Independence in his black, 2015 Dodge Ram pickup.
Witnesses said he was driving fast and recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic, on northbound I-435 before he shot off onto the 23rd Street ramp.
Crash investigators later determined Gray was going 90 miles an hour down the ramp when he slammed into an SUV, which, in turn, hit two other vehicles and sent them flying.
When the metal settled, 3-year-old Ryan Hampel of Independence and 16-year-old Samantha Raudales of Shawnee were dead. Two other people were seriously injured, including Samantha’s father, Edwin Raudales-Flores, who suffered a brain injury.
Cellphone video taken by a bystander showed Gray walking aimlessly around his truck after the crash, picking up detached pieces and finally kicking a piece.
Not once did he approach any of the other vehicles involved in the crash to check on the occupants.
…Sometimes cases don’t end conventionally or neatly. This is such a one. But it is over.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Good reporting, Fitz.
Thanks, John.
Yes. I will echo John. Did any other media have this?
To the best of my knowledge, no. Fox 4 would have been the most likely, but they don’t have it, as of 9:30.
On 7/11/94 my identical twin Gary was murdered by a drunk and impaired driver (he died too). They were each alone in their vehicles. He was traveling at least 120-miles-an-hour north on the southbound side of I-435. Gary’s new Escort wagon was knocked back fifty-five feet and stayed in its center lane. The murderer’s 1976 Gran Prix totaled six or seven other vehicles. Thank God others were not murdered. I pray for both. I’ll see Gary again. Please do not drink (or use other intoxicants) and drive.
It is important for media to cover events like this from A to Z, not A to M.
I think this is justice done and the best possible conclusion to the case.
Thank you Fitz for your pursuit of this story.
I’ve said a lot of nasty things, in print, about Terry Gray, Chuck, and I do feel a bit remorseful about that now. It changes the complexion of things when a defendant in a big case dies suddenly and when emotions are still very raw.
…I heard he was diagnosed recently with lung cancer and a treatment plan was set up. But apparently he just took a quick turn for the worst, and that was that.
Wow. This will spare the survivors a lot of trauma in court, but what financial recourse will there be for the survivors who will no doubt have staggering medical needs and bills well into the future…
I think the two civil cases that had been filed by people related to Ryan Hampel will go away, too…I don’t see how responsibility can be transferred to Gray’s relatives or his estate, but maybe it can. In any event, the guy must have had some money because he hired a high-powered attorney team in John and P.J. O’Connor.
…By the way, John O’Connor told me he and his son returned to the family 80 percent of the fee Gray had paid them. In cases like this, defense attorneys usually collect up front the fee that will take them through trial. If there’s an appeal, or further work, I believe they then ask for an additional amount, which the defendant, of course, is free to accept or reject.
John just sent me an email saying he thought the civil cases could proceed against Gray’s estate. I have a call into one of his partners — a guy who handles civil cases — to confirm that.
Brian Madden, a partner of John O’Connor, said the plaintiffs could file what is called a “suggestion of death” and seek to substitute the estate as defendant. So, those cases should go forward.
While the fault of the accident certainly does not pass to Gray’s survivors/estate … neither should any monies, as if he had not suddenly passed, with most certainty, any monies would’ve been awarded to the victims of the horrible crash – and still should. Now, all that is just personal logic and I’m hopeful the law follows same.
Nobody wins but the attorneys. Sad.