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We asked defense attorney John Picerno, not party to the case, about the legal distinction. He said it comes down to the fact Lester didn’t live long enough to be sentenced.

Filing a wrongful death claim against law enforcement is a difficult and emotional process. It can be especially challenging when the death results from police brutality. The grieving process is complicated by the legal hurdles involved, as police officers and their departments are often granted legal protections.

"I mean, she's traumatized," John Picerno, a Kansas City lawyer who represented Mitchell in the case, said. "That’s not an over exaggeration."

Those pardoned include more than 250 people who were convicted of assault charges, some having attacked police with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and a crutch. Many of the attacks were captured on surveillance or body camera footage that showed rioters engaging in hand-to-hand combat with police as officers desperately fought to beat back the angry crowd.

Marcus Arbery says, "holding the former prosecutor accountable is no less important than convicting the murderers because elected officials are supposed to serve everyone equally."

At JPLaw, I, John Anthony Picerno, recognize how overwhelming federal criminal charges can feel. As a criminal defense lawyer serving Kansas City, Missouri, and surrounding areas, I’ve seen how federal sentencing guidelines play a critical role in determining the outcome of a case.

Since the investigation’s onset, Picerno has been vocal that Willis knew nothing about the men’s deaths.

"It's an awful thing when people have already presumed you're guilty without real evidence," Picerno said. "It's a tough row to hoe, and he's managing it as best he can."

Newton shot and killed two others and injured in another shooting on June 9, 2023. Newton was driving near East 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard when he saw a person on the driver’s side of a truck point a firearm out of the window toward a white van and drove off.

“(Newton) is still employed there, so sadly it’s another example of KCPD failing to impose any type of significant sanctions against their own employees who act outside the law, in our opinion,” Picerno said.