Fallen Jackson County court civil process server Drexel Mack to be honored at ceremony

Robert A. Cronkleton
·2 min read
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Members of the Jackson County Circuit Court will gather on Monday to honor the life of Drexel Mack, a civil process server who was killed during an eviction.

The public ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the 12th Street entrance of the Jackson County Courthouse at 415 E. 12th Street in downtown Kansas City.

Mack, who worked for the court for over a decade, was shot and killed Feb. 29 while serving a writ of possession at a home in northeast Independence.

Drexel Mack, a 41-year-old civil process officer with Jackson County courts, was shot and killed during an eviction Thursday. His family and friends remember him as a loving father, uncle and friend.
Drexel Mack, a 41-year-old civil process officer with Jackson County courts, was shot and killed during an eviction Thursday. His family and friends remember him as a loving father, uncle and friend.

Independence police officer Cody Allen also was shot and killed in the mass shooting while responding to help Mack. Visitation and funeral services were held last week Thursday and Friday for Allen.

Two other police officers were shot and wounded, and were expected to recover.

At the ceremony on Monday, coworkers, friends and community members to pay tribute to Mack’s dedication and service, while reflecting on his life and the impact he made to the court.

The 41-year-old Mack worked for the courts for 12 years. Over his career, he was named the top employee during his third year and received glowing reviews from his coworkers, said Jack Foster, director of the court’s civil process servers in a press conference after his death.

His sister, Carmon Mack, told The Star she had a close relationship with her brother. They grew up in the Bahama Islands and moved to the United States as children. Drexel Mack still has family in Florida, including his 19-year-old son Drexel Mack Jr.

He is survived by his fiancé, Janelle Ruffin, who has three children, and his son. He also had a few other children he considered his own, his sister said.

Mack served in the U.S. Navy and worked as a corrections officer in Florida before moving to the Kansas City area in 2010. He worked as a corrections officer locally before being hired to work for Jackson County.

Charged in deaths of Mack, Allen

Prosecutors have charged Larry Acree, 69, with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Mack and Allen. Acree also is accused of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

The shooting unfolded shortly after 1 p.m. Feb. 29 as Mack, along with another civil process server, was trying to carry out an eviction. Acree lost his home over back taxes, court records show.

Mack was shot after entering the front door. Police officers responded to the home and Allen was struck in the head by another round of gunfire from the home.

A verified GoFundMe has been set up by Mack’s family, which had raised more than $12,400 as of Friday afternoon.

The Star’s Kendrick Calfee and Bill Lukitsch provided information for this story.