Pearl and Christina

Closure in the Case of Pearl Barnes (Sameemah Mussawir) and Christina King

As we approach the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr’s birth, I am reminded of King’s quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

On November 22, 1996, at the age of 43, Pearl Barnes, a veteran and mother of two beautiful daughters, was discovered stabbed to death in her mother’s vacant home on Lafayette Avenue. Twenty-six-year-old Christina King had a daughter who was ten years old when she was found beaten to death behind an abandoned building on December 25, 1998. 

It wasn’t until three decades later, On January 9, 2026, a long-haul trucker, Gary Deon Davis was finally put on trial in Kansas City, Kansas for the murder of Pearl Barnes, a.k.a. Sameemah Mussawir, and Christina “Cricket” King.  Davis’s trial took place because of the work of the Cold Case Unit of the Kansas City Kansas Police Department, created in 2022, as a result of persistent advocacy by Justice for Wyandotte.

After revisiting Pearl’s and Cristina’s cases KCK PD’s cold case detectives found DNA evidence from both crime scenes matched Gary Davis.  Authorities have indicated that due to Davis's history as a long-haul trucker, they continue to explore his possible connections to other unsolved homicides nationwide.

We appreciate the diligence of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department's Cold Case detectives and Wyandotte County District Attorney Office for revisiting this unsolved case and securing the conviction of Gary Deon Davis Jr. for the murder of Pearl Barnes. While this conviction cannot restore Pearl to her loved ones, we pray it provides a measure of peace, a sense of justice, and a path forward.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Christina King. We are deeply saddened by the not guilty verdict in the first-degree murder case involving Christina King,

The investigation conducted by the cold case squad raised concerns among the victims' families and friends regarding the thoroughness of the investigation. Evidence appeared insufficient and may have been mishandled, as numerous items from Christina King's crime scene remained untested.

Now that the trail of Gary Deon Davis is over our pursuit for justice is not.  We wholeheartedly support improving the work of the Cold Case unit by:

• Increase funding for advanced DNA testing for cold cases when state resources are limited.

• Enhancing community trust through hosting town hall meetings or listening sessions where community members can provide tips or share information on unsolved cases in a safe environment.

Justice for Wyandotte was led to these cases after recognizing that there was no cold case unit in Kansas City, Kansas to investigate a series of suspicious murders of women in the Northeast area during the mid-to-late 1990s. We will continue to support victims’ families and advocate for transparency and accountability in police investigative procedures. We also encourage community vigilance and information sharing with law enforcement to promote a thorough review of evidence and to educate the public about legal processes, including the upcoming sentencing and potential appeals in the conviction of Gary D. Davis.