KC man charged in dismemberment case found not guilty on some charges

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man accused of killing and dismembering a man before setting him on fire was found not guilty on some charges this week.

A Clay County jury found Colton Stock not guilty of first-degree murder and not guilty of armed criminal action.

The jury did convict Stock on abandoning a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

Charging documents say in May 2019, police were called to a home for a report of shots fired. When officers arrived, they could see smoke showing from the house and called fire crews.

Firefighters located the body of 35-year-old Matthew Calkins, of Gardner, inside the home. Court documents say an autopsy determined Calkins was shot twice before his body was dismembered and burned. 

Police took Stock into custody on the scene.

A witness told police Stock showed up looking for Calkins and allegedly told the man he wanted to scare Calkins a little bit, according to charging documents. Investigators previously said Stock told them the victim stole from him.

Police said they found a gun that matched the bullets used to allegedly kill Calkins, a saw and lighter fluid in the home, court records said.

Jurors recommended the maximum sentence of 4 years for each of those guilty counts. The court has set a sentencing hearing for Feb. 15, 2023.

But before that, Stock will appear for a bond hearing next week to determine whether he will remain in custody or be released on bond while waiting for sentencing.