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"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."

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.

“I think its important any time a lawsuit is settled with law enforcement. Somebody has to police the police and apparently its not KCPD who is going to police their own employees,” Picerno said.

“My client is still living under a cloud of suspicion,” Picerno said. “The general public believes he is responsible for their deaths, and that’s simply not true. I knew it initially and... I think prosecutors know that as well and so it’s kind of frustrating that they won’t come out publicly and state that.”

'I can say with confidence that my client will not be charged in that regard. My client will not be charged in any manner with having to do with the untimely death of his friends,' Picerno revealed.