A jury in Clay County found a Kansas City owner guilty of killing one of his tenants by stabbing him 36 times on Wednesday.
Darryl “Brent” Gilland, 28, was killed by Gordon McBeth, who was 47 years old. On October 22, 2021, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. On Thursday, a judge in Clay County gave McBeth the harshest term possible on both counts: life in prison.
Court records say that McBeth’s attack on Gilland was not justified and happened in broad daylight in front of several witnesses.
According to court documents and a fundraiser post by Gilland’s family, he and his fiancée Samantha “Salem” Pohlman messaged McBeth less than a week after moving into the 6200 block of N. Topping Avenue in Kansas City. They said their heat wasn’t working and asked for a space heater.
Court records show that on October 22, 2021, McBeth reacted violently to the question and then drove wildly to the house on N. Topping Avenue, throwing things at Gilland as he got out of the car.
According to court records, McBeth pointed a hunting knife at Gilland and said something like, “If that doesn’t work, I’ll just (expletive) kill you.”
They say he then stabbed Gilland 36 times in the back, chest, arms, and left thigh.
Court papers say that a neighbor who saw the attack held McBeth at gunpoint until around 3:30 p.m., when Kansas City police arrived at the house. Paramedics said Gilland was dead at the scene of the accident.
Friends and family called Gilland a “gentle giant” who was smart and loving. Gilland was born in Indiana and is the youngest of seven children. He was named after his father and has loved music all his life.
Gilland had been seeing Pohlman for almost five years and wanted to start a family with her in Kansas City. Before moving into the house on N. Topping Avenue, he had just started a new job. He used to play guitar in a Kansas City band called Jonny Switchblade. Pohlman said that playing in that band gave Gilland confidence as he found his way as a young adult in the city.
The jury agreed with us that the killer should get the harshest term possible, said Clay County prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson in a statement Thursday. “We’re glad our office was able to fight for justice in court and help get this verdict for the victim and his family.”
Gilland and his grandparents were buried together in Indiana. In 2021, a fundraiser for Pohlman raised more than $13,000, which was used to pay for his funeral and burial.
On October 23, 2021, McBeth was taken to the Clay County Detention Center on a $1 million bond. During his trial and sentence, he stayed in the detention center.