Kansas Man Receives Prison Term for Fatal 2018 Killing of Shawnee Woman

Ronald Lee Kidwell was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison on Wednesday for killing a Shawnee, Kansas, woman in 2018, which many have described as a hate crime. Kidwell pled guilty to fatally stabbing MeShon Cooper, 43, on July 6, 2018, and then hid her body in a garbage can at his home.

Kidwell had a history of physically and sexually assaulting women of color, and his family has talked openly about his affiliations with white supremacist organizations.

Kidwell was first charged with second-degree murder in July 2018. In January of this year, he admitted to voluntary manslaughter. Cooper, who was Black, was last seen on her way to work at Subway, according to court records. She was reported missing on July 7, after her automobile was discovered abandoned.

According to court documents, Kidwell admitted to killing Cooper when he was caught six days later. After finding blood in Cooper’s abandoned car, police tracked his phone to Kidwell’s home in Shawnee, according to court filings.

Cooper’s body was discovered in a garbage can in Kidwell’s garage, wrapped in trash bags, according to court filings. According to police, Kidwell’s house smelled heavily like bleach. They also discovered bloodstained bedding in his garage.

According to The Star, Kidwell claimed to police that Cooper initially attacked him at his home, taking out a knife and threatening to “tell everyone” that he was HIV positive. According to The Star, Kidwell stated that after Cooper punched him in the hand, he retaliated by fatally stabbing Cooper. Kidwell told police, “When I get mad, I make the exorcist look like a bitch,” according to The Star.