84-year-old man convicted of shooting and killing Kansas City lawyer

An 84-year-old man was convicted Thursday of shooting and killing a Kansas City lawyer who had won a multi-million judgment against him in a civil lawsuit.

A Jackson County jury deliberated for about two hours before finding David Jungerman, of Raytown, guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Oct. 25, 2017 death of 39-year-old Tom Pickert, who was shot in front of his home after he returned from walking his children to school.

Prosecutors said that Jungerman shot Pickert because he was upset that the attorney had won a $5.75 million judgment for a homeless man whom Jungerman shot in 2012 because he thought he was stealing from one of his businesses.

Tim Dollar, assistant Jackson County prosecutor, said after the verdict was announced that the jury had spoken and that justice has finally been brought to this family.

Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 18. Daniel Ross, Jungerman's attorney, said they plan to appeal.

A garnishment against Jungerman was filed on the Prosecutors 10 days before Pickert was shot. The day before Pickert was shot, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office served Jungerman with property liens that would have prevented Jungerman from selling or transferring his property.

During the trial, prosecutors played an audio recording of Jungerman bragging about the murder of his farmhand, according to Kansas City media. Jungerman apparently recorded the conversation by accident and was later discovered by authorities during a search of his house.

When I think about it, I grin. The thing that bothers me the most is that I grin. Jungerman said that the expletive has caused me a lot of trouble.

Dollar said during closing arguments that Jungerman had ice water in his veins.

Dollar said these two people are laughing. That is what he is thinking about when he says it makes me grin. That was what was in his mind. Jungerman's defense argued that the police investigation was sloppy, with missing reports and destroyed evidence. They said about a quarter of Jungerman's audio recording was missing.

The state prosecutors ignored the facts. Ross said something. Because he had a judgment against him and the lawyer who got it, he is guilty. Since October 2017 they have been at it that way since.