Kevin Mashburn

CrimePAY$   $101,000 Murder Reward  1-888-755-TIPS (8477)

Update October 22, 2012 – The Saturday arrest of Bryan J. Middlemas raised the prospect that a convicted felon, who also is an important witness in his case, could collect $100,000 in reward money.

Police and the administrator of a civic anti-crime program are comfortable with that.

Middlemas, 35, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree murder, attempted robbery and armed criminal action in the death last week of Kevin M. Mashburn, a 58-year-old technician for AT&T, which established the $100,000 reward.

Officers arrested Middlemas after speaking with his former prison cellmate, Dominic C. Truesdell, according to court records. Truesdell told investigators that Middlemas admitted to him that he had beaten someone with a crowbar the morning of Sept. 19 as he attempted to steal his wallet.

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AT&T – for whom Kevin Mashburn worked for over 40 years – announced that they are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Mashburn’s killers.

In addition to the $100,000 reward from AT&T, the TIPS Hotline is offering their standard $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

After someone attacked Kevin M. Mashburn from behind, splitting open his skull, the AT&T technician managed to pull himself into his service truck and radio for help early Wednesday.

He called a co-worker, who told him to turn on the truck’s flashing light and drive to a populated area where someone could see him, family members said Wednesday.

Police and paramedics soon arrived, just after 3 a.m., Sept. 19, 2012 and found Mashburn unconscious inside his truck in the 2700 block of Northeast 57th Terrace in Gladstone. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died, said police Capt. Jeff Self.

Family members said Mashburn was making tower repairs in a Gladstone neighborhood when someone walked up behind and struck his head with a heavy metal object. He apparently was not robbed, they said, as nothing appeared to have been taken.

“This was senseless and there was no need for anything like this to happen,” said the victim’s oldest son, Bill Mashburn. “He would’ve gladly offered a hand to anyone.”

In a written statement, AT&T officials said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Kevin Mashburn, a dedicated AT&T employee for more than 40 years. Kevin will be greatly missed by all of us at AT&T. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and co-workers at this time of great loss. AT&T is fully cooperating with authorities in their investigation.”

Mashburn, a lifelong Kansas City resident, began working for Southwestern Bell, which later became AT&T, during his senior year at Westport High School in 1971. He had worked a variety of jobs but most recently, he was a systems technician and had worked the midnight to 8 a.m. shift for 15 years.

Barbara Mashburn said they married 33 years ago and have four children and a 10-month-old granddaughter.

“He was the young man from up the street,” Barbara Mashburn recalled. She was attracted to his smile. They had many of the same friends and shared the same interest in muscle cars that were popular during the 1970s, she said.

“Kevin never met a stranger, and every friend he made became a family member,” Barbara Mashburn said. “If you needed any help, you could count on Kevin to be there to help.”

The Mashburns attended Visitation Catholic Church and have lived in the same Brookside neighborhood for 30 years. Mashburn was a Boy Scout leader, a member of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say and helped his sons become Eagle Scouts.

As a youth, Mashburn also had earned his Eagle Scout, said Barbara Mashburn.

He was active in the telecommunications union and the Telephone Pioneers of America volunteer group, she said.

The evening before Mashburn died, he and his wife took a friend who was visiting from Colorado to see the Kansas City Royals play.

Barbara Mashburn called her husband’s death “a tragic loss for everyone who knew him.”

Bill Mashburn described his father as “the biggest computer nerd ever.” He frequently repaired computers for his family and friends and often spent his own money to purchase replacement equipment and software for them, his son said.

“I am sure if the guy who assaulted him needed $20, he would’ve forked it over and sent him on his way,” Bill Mashburn said.

“They’ve taken one of ours, and we’re not going to let it go,” said Edward Hylton, a friend and coworker of Mashburn. He says that he has been leaning on friends and family to cope with Mashburn’s murder.

“We talked about Kevin’s last moments and all the sudden you got two grown men just sobbing and crying, and it’s like, ‘Man I gotta hang up’,” said Hylton.

Police are hoping that the big reward will help generate useful information in the case.

“Hopefully it’s going to motivate the right people to come forward with information,” said Det. Kevin Boehm of Crimestoppers/TIPS Hotline.

Regardless of the reasons, Hylton hopes that somebody will come forward with information.

“If it’s got to be for completely selfish reasons, do it for the $100,000, I don’t care,” said Hylton. “I want his killer caught.”

CrimePAY$   $101,000 Murder Reward  1-888-755-TIPS (8477)

This entry was posted on Friday, September 21st, 2012 at 2:55 pm and is filed under $100,000+, Missouri, Solved. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.