David Jungerman, the man police and prosecutors have been trying to build a murder case against the last four and a half months, was arrested Thursday and charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor after shooting at, or near, a man he believed had stolen pipes from a business Jungerman owns in northeast Kansas City.
Today, Jungerman, whom police interviewed in the October killing of Kansas City lawyer Thomas Pickert, is in the Jackson County Detention Center on $1 million bond.
He is facing two counts of unlawful use of a weapon (firing at or near someone, and exhibiting the weapon “in an angry or threatening manner”) and one count of armed criminal action (committing a felony with the aid of a deadly weapon).
He also faces a misdemeanor assault charge.
If convicted of the felonies, Jungerman could be sentenced to up to a total of 22 years in prison, if maximum, consecutive sentences were imposed.
Jungerman, in booking photo from KCPD
It is extremely unusual for the prosecutor’s office to request a million-dollar bond in an unlawful-use-of weapon case. However, a source told me that in requesting that bond, the prosecutor’s office presented information to the judge that was not related to the case at hand…In other words, prosecutors told the judge they suspect Jungerman of killing Pickert.
In this week’s case, Jungerman fired a shot in the vicinity of a man he believed had stolen 780 pounds of iron pipe from his — Jungerman’s — high-chair-manufacturing business at St. John and Belmont. Jungerman followed the man and a female companion to a recycling business at 12th and Jackson, about two miles southwest of St. John and Belmont.
This screen shot shows the locations of Jungerman’s business (upper right) and the recycling center where Jungerman confronted a couple he believed had stolen pipes from his business.
In an unusual twist, Jungerman was on the phone with police, reporting the alleged theft of the pipes, while confronting the man and woman at the recycling center.
The 911 recording, which is part of the charging documents filed in the case, includes the following exchange between Jungerman and the man…
Jungerman: “Now, buddy, hold it right where you’re at, motherfucker.”
A gunshot is heard.
Man: “Motherfucker, what’s your problem?”
Jungerman: “You stole my fucking pipe.”
Man: “I didn’t. Get that thing away from me. I didn’t steal shit from you, buddy..Get away from me with that fucking thing…What are you going to do, shoot me?”
Jungerman: “You’re fucking A I’m going to shoot you.”
Man: “For what?”
Jungerman: “Right between…For stealing my pipe.”
This is at least the third occasion in the last several years in which Jungerman has either shot people or shot at someone. In addition, Thursday’s incident was reminiscent of a case Jungerman was involved in many years ago, when he caught four youths trespassing on lake property he owns in Raytown. While holding the youths at gunpoint, he called police. After police arrived, they arrested him, not the youths. Jungerman was later convicted of a misdemeanor weapons offense.
**
The Pickert murder is the most serious case, by far, of any in which Jungerman has been implicated.
Pickert, 39, was gunned down, probably by someone shooting a rifle from a white van, while standing in his front yard near 66th Terrace and Brookside Road. He was talking on his cell phone after having walked his two young sons to a nearby school.
In addition to his history of trying to settle disagreements with firearms, he also had a strong motive to kill Pickert.
Pickert represented one of two men Jungerman had shot on his property in 2012, and last summer a Jackson County jury returned a verdict of $5.75 million in favor of the plaintiff, Jeffery Harris, who had to have a leg amputated as a result of the shooting.
The day before Jungerman shot Harris, court officials presented Jungerman with papers informing him property of his valued at$5.75 million would be seized to satisfy the award.
Before Pickert was shot, someone had seen an elderly, gray-haired white man standing behind a white van parked on 66th Terrace, near Pickert’s home.
In addition, Pickert’s wife, Dr. Emily Riegel, told police that after hearing two shots and seeing her husband lying on the ground, she saw an elderly, gray-haired white man driving off in a white van, heading west on 66th Terrace toward Brookside Road and Wornall Road.
Police interviewed Jungerman — who turned 80 last week — for several hours until he halted the interview and asked for a lawyer. Police got a search warrant late the night of the slaying for a white Chevy van Jungerman owns. They searched it but apparently found little or no incriminating evidence.
Meanwhile, Jungerman was — and still is — facing an attempted burglary charge in southwest Missouri, where he owns several thousand acres of farm land. Unable to make the murder case, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has conferred with Vernon County Prosecutor Brandi McInroy in hopes of gaining a conviction on the burglary case and getting Jungerman behind bars.
The attempted burglary case — also a felony — is scheduled to go to trial April 3 or 4 in Lamar, MO. A pretrial conference is scheduled for next Thursday in Nevada, MO.
It is unclear how or if the new Jackson County charges will affect proceedings in the burglary case.
**
After a Jan. 9 hearing related to the burglary case, I spoke with Jungerman outside the Vernon County Courthouse. Among other things, he told me: “I believe in the castle doctrine: You come in my house, I’m going to blow your ass away.”
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Incredible reporting!
Thanks, Lisolette.
I’m glad no one got physically harmed. But I am so grateful this guy made his own noose and got his butt into jail. Poetic justice. I do think that he will make bail (assuming he only needs to post 10% in cash), being as wealthy as he appears to be, and I hope the prosecutors work to make sure he stays in the slammer. He’s dangerous, no doubt about it. Even his legal problems couldn’t stop his aggressive behavior. I do wonder if he might have a brain problem, say, dementia or a tumor. Or maybe he’s just a lifelong badass. Or all of the above. Whatever, he needs to be off the street, permanently. I’m sure the Pickert family is on an emotional rollercoaster but I hope their spirits are buoyed by this development.
Thanks for your reporting, Jim.
The best chance to keep him behind bars remains the southwest Missouri case, which has been pending a long time and is about ready to go to trial. It will take months to bring the new case to trial.
I also appreciate this reporting as The Star has seriously been lacking. I was perplexed by the piece they did where they cleared Jungerman as even being a person of interest, almost like he whined so much they were like FINE, we will do your side too.
I live close to Tom’s family and think of him every time I drive by his kids’ school. It has been driving me crazy they can’t get enough evidence to charge him for Tom’s murder.
I had no clue about the SW MO case. Thanks for staying on this shitbag. I look forward to your trial coverage.
Thank you, Kristin, and welcome to the Comments Dept. As I’ve written before, The Star is afraid of being sued for libel — even though it’s virtually impossible for a plaintiff to prove libel in Missouri, and most other states, involving someone who has entered the public arena in one way or another.
The Star has on its website a story about the new charges against Jungerman, but the story is not on the paper’s home page. You have to go to the “news” dropdown box and go down several stories to find it. And in the story, The Star says, once again, “Kansas City police told The Star that he was not a suspect in Pickert’s killing” — which is complete and utter balderdash. Everyone who has been involved with this story at The Star needs to be enrolled in a course “Speaking Truth to Power” class.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article204381299.html#storylink=cpy
…I am hoping that as a condition of Jungerman’s bond — which he has a good chance to make — he will be prohibited from possessing guns, at the very least. It’s pretty clear he’s now gone off the deep(er) end, and there’s no telling what he might do if he got out and had access to guns.
Thanks for the response, I was guessing it had to do with being afraid for being sued for libel but that piece was such trash, I thought there has to be something else to it. Anyhow, I just discovered your site and will be going through the older posts for a while to catch up on your reporting. Looking forward to coming here in the future for solid coverage in this case since The Star seems to want little to do with it.
What this demonstrates is that having the right to carry a firearm does not confer on the owner the right to blaze away at anyone who offends him.
In both this case and the one he got sued for, there was plenty of time for the police to arrive and handle the situation. In none of these cases is there any indication that he, or anyone else, was in fear of death or the grave bodily injury that would have triggered a stand your ground, castle doctrine, or self-defense argument that might have avoided prosecution. Indeed, I’m stunned they didn’t nail him on the case where he shot the homeless guy.
The saying that applies here is that every bullet has a lawyer attached to it and if it’s not worth paying the lawyer, you probably shouldn’t fire the weapon.
Adages and common sense don’t compute with Jungerman.
The one thing that troubles me is whether or not the cops also nailed the thieves that stole his property. That is their job no matter who the victim is and his conduct does not excuse theirs.
It’s certainly not clear at all that the couple Jungerman followed did, indeed, steal his or any pipes. Hard to imagine somebody loading up 780 pounds of pipes on someone else’s property in the middle of the day and going straight to the recycling center. I’m inclined to agree with Bob that he might have some sort of brain impairment. He testified at the civil trial that he had fallen at some point and struck his head and that he had some neurological problems as a result.
Not buying that. This is an attitude that this guy has that he’s looking for an excuse to take the law into his own hands. That is a very complex political statement to make and it’s consistent with putting up political billboards on his property. That’s not something you acquire by whacking yourself on the head. “Damn, my head hurts, I think I’ll go change political parties and while I’m at it develop a complex and hostile view of the courts and the criminal justice system.” I don’t think so.
Thank you for following this case. The kind of vigilante justice practiced by this man has no place in our community.
You’re welcome, Cathy…Thanks for becoming a reader and posting your first comment.
I see that our local media have just today discovered the connections between Jungerman’s latest escapades and his earlier adventures. Perhaps those news outlets read your blog? I’m glad they are reporting this finally, but you certainly scooped them.
John, I didn’t mean to imply a brain problem is an excuse for criminal behavior, nor did I mean to say Jungerman should not be held accountable for his actions. I merely wanted to suggest that this man’s persistent, and seeming more frequent irrational behavior raises doubt about his neurological functioning. I could have as well said that maybe there are personal emotional problems or some other issues that have not come to light. Who knows what is happening within him? My bottom line is, don’t let him loose. If he has his guns confiscated, he can find a weapon in minutes.
Understand. sorry if my response sounded harsh. This is not one of those sites where you get insulted for disagreement.
Fitz, I have heard a few former Star colleagues raise concerns that your posts about Jungerman are potentially libelous. I disagree with those claims. Now, if police and prosecutors actually do find that someone besides Jungerman killed Pickert, then maybe their claims are justified. But I’m not going to hold my breath.
To prove libel (written) or slander (spoken) in Missouri and most other states, a plaintiff has to prove three things:
1) What was written or said was not true. (In this case that Jungerman is not and has never been a suspect in the Pickert slaying. Bzzzzzt, you’re out, plaintiff! He most certainly is the prime suspect of police and prosecutors, and in a court of law, they would say that. Not to mention there’s plenty of proof he is a suspect, if not the only suspect, starting with police having interviewed him and obtained a search warrant for his white van.)
2) What was written or said was done so “with malice.” (Bzzzzzt, you’re out, plaintiff! I’ve been tough on him, but he would have a very difficult time establishing malice.)
3) The plaintiff’s reputation was damaged by what was written or said. (Bzzzzt, you’re out, plaintiff! Look at his history; it would be almost impossible to damage his reputation.)
In addition to all that, I think Jungerman has a lot more on his plate than worrying about what a Kansas City blogger is writing about him.
And one more thing: When I spoke with him in Nevada on Jan. 9 and told him I was writing very critically about him in my blog, he said, “What’s a blog?”
Also, there have been precedents for The Star running stories about people suspected of murder yet never charged. I’m sure that you remember Gregory Breeden. There was a multitude of stories in The Star and the local television stations linking him to the murder of several prostitutes whose bodies were found in the Missouri River. But all he ever did time for was writing bad checks. Perhaps there were different situations. Maybe police sources haven’t been giving reporters information on Jungerman the way they were with Breeden. Don’t know. All I do know is that there is a ton of circumstantial evidence linking Jungerman to the murder of Thomas Pickert.