SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man charged in the shooting death of 39-year-old Kyce Barnes, whose body was was found in the trunk of a car in Wichita was back in court Monday for a preliminary hearing.
Daitrez Birch, 24, of Wichita plead guilty to the murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.
Just after 8a.m. August 21, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot located in the 8200 block of West Irving Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.
Officers were directed to a white four door Mercedes and discovered a victim later identified as Barnes in the trunk of the vehicle wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. His remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.
During the investigation, detectives identified the Deluxe Motel at 8401 W. Kellogg Drive as the original crime scene.
Barnes had a long history of crime. He spent time in the Kansas Department of Corrections for drug convictions in Cowley County. He was released from prison in 2020. On August 20, police booked Barnes into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges that included possession of stolen property and drug possession, according to jail booking records. He was released from the Sedgwick County jail just after 3p.m. August 21.
Police in Wichita also arrested him in 2022 on requested charges of theft, violation of a protection order, domestic battery and failure to appear.