A Kansas City man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a man while the victim was in a car in August 2024.
Eduardo A. Damian, 26, was charged Wednesday in Jackson County Superior Court with manslaughter for his role in the death of Daniel Vernassie, 47.
Damian also faces two charges of armed criminal action and one charge of unlawful use of a weapon.
Kansas City police officers responded to the area around E. 12th Street. and Bellaire Avenue. on August 10 around 8 p.m., where they discovered Vernassie in the front passenger seat of a black Nissan Altima with a gunshot wound to the neck.
According to police, Vernassie was pronounced dead at the scene. Court records show a second bullet was later found embedded in the passenger door of the car.
Kansas City police officers interviewed an eyewitness to the Sept. 13 shooting, according to court documents. The witness said Damian was looking for Vernassie, who had allegedly stolen something from Damian.
The witness told police that he purchased narcotics from Damian on August 10, 2024, and was sitting in Damian’s car on the way back to his own home when Damian saw Vernassie in the Altima. The witness described how Damian grabbed a gun and fired three shots at the Altima, according to court documents. The witness later recognized the passenger as Vernassie from the reports of his death.
A second witness later told police they were driving the Altima when Damian allegedly shot Vernassie, court documents show. Damian was arrested on October 14.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Vernassie was an avid Chiefs fan who loved dogs and enjoyed spending time with his family, according to an obituary shared online after his death.
According to the obituary, Vernassie struggled with addiction and homelessness in the years leading up to his death. Sometimes he turned to spirituality and music for solace.
“Danny fought his demons for many years, so positively that he was able to defeat them,” Vernassie’s obituary reads. “Danny’s family remembers him for his kind heart, sense of humor, good-natured naivety and his love of family.”
Damian, who was previously placed on probation for charges of drug possession and unlawful use of a weapon, is currently ineligible for bond. He will appear in Jackson County Court for a bond review hearing on October 24 at 10 a.m.
Vernassie’s death was the 95th homicide reported in Kansas City in 2024, according to data collected by The Star. Last year, 127 murders were simultaneously reported in the city.
Previous reporting by Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed to this article.
