This book tells the story of five different homicide cases from Kansas City, Missouri as told by the prosecutor who handled the cases himself, Phil LeVota. Five different stories are the five chapters that tell the different tale of true crime from the criminal's perspective, the police perspective, and the prosecution perspective. The Jackson County Prosecutor's office and the Kansas City Police department were involved in obtaining justice for the victims. From the horrific crime where the murderer made his son help him cut off the victim's head and hands to the robbery and rape of the sweet neighborhood grandmother, this is a "hard to put down" book that keeps you wanting more.
Levota, Phil: - Phil LeVota is a trial attorney and a life-long resident of Jackson County, Missouri. Phil attended Truman High School in Independence and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg in 1988. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and held many leadership roles in the organization. After college, Phil worked for the State of Missouri in the Division of Child Support Enforcement for four years. In the position of Manager and Public Awareness Director, Phil was responsible for the supervision of a team of investigators and office staff in enforcing state administrative law. He also was appointed to the Governor's Public Relations Task Force as well as representing the agency in media interviews and speaking engagements. During this period, Phil was elected to the Board of Directors of the Missouri Child Support Enforcement Association. Later, he received his Masters degree in Management from Baker University, which he had completed while working full-time. Phil was then able to pursue his lifelong dream of being an attorney. In Phil's first year of law school, he was ranked in the top fifteen percent of his class. While attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, Phil was a member of Law Review, was selected to the UMKC National Trial Team, and was twice listed in "Who's Who of American Law Students." During law school, Phil was employed as an Administrative Hearing Officer dealing with administrative law issues for the Department of Social Services. In his last year of law school, Phil worked in the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's office in Kansas City, Missouri as a legal intern licensed to practice law in Missouri courts. Even before graduation, Phil had numerous court appearances and was involved in eight jury trials prosecuting criminals on behalf of the State of Missouri. After graduating from law school, Jackson County Prosecutor Claire McCaskill appointed Phil as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the criminal trial division. As a trial prosecutor, Phil tried numerous jury trials ranging from murder and assault to drug cases. He also has argued successfully before the Missouri Court of Appeals. Further, Phil specialized in prosecuting gang violence as the designated Gang Prosecutor for the Kansas City Police Department. Phil has served on the County Homicide Case Review Committee, as well as the Jackson County Prosecutor's Death Penalty Review Committee. Phil LeVota served under four different state prosecutors as the Trial Team Leader within the Community Justice Unit of the office for over a decade. His duties ranged from homicide prosecution to media contact and office spokesman as well as coordinating several law enforcement and community task forces and committees. In 2006, Phil opened his private practice and law firm; The Law Offices of Phil LeVota, L.L.C.. The firm's practice is diverse in areas of state/local government practice, plaintiff litigation in wrongful death/personal injury, professional/motivational speaking, criminal defense, and campaign consulting. Phil is also a certified court mediator and is involved in mediation and arbitration in referrals from many courts in the Midwest. Phil has participated as a speaker in over 100 DARE graduations in elementary schools in Jackson County. Phil also was appointed by the Independence Police Department as a board member of the Juvenile Law Enforcement Coalition Committee. Phil was also member of the United States Attorney's Weed & Seed Steering Committee responsible for the administration of law enforcement and community grants in Kansas City, Missouri.
