Clifton Ray

Clifton Lee Ray Jr. (born July 27, 1958) is an American serial killer, responsible for at least three murders in Kansas City, Missouri, between 1987 and 1992, and is suspected in six other murders. Ray was convicted of murdering his neighbor in 1995, and was soon going to be eligible for parole until DNA profiling exposed his responsibility in the murders of Deborah Taylor and Joycie Flowers.

After high school, Ray attended MCC Penn-Valley for a semester. He later joined the U.S. Marines, where he served three years at Camp Pendleton. After being discharged, Ray returned home and worked various odd jobs.

In 1987, Ray was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tonya Taylor, 23, who was found nude and beaten to death on May 16, but the charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Ray was arrested many times over the years, with 21 recorded charges involving disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, drugs, indecent exposure, rape, and murder, but was always able to escape lengthy prison sentences. In 1992, Ray sought treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. After his release, he moved into the Royal Towers Apartments and began training in heating and air conditioning repair.

On May 24, 1990, Joycie Flowers, 41, was found dead in a homeless camp in Kansas City. She was naked, except for a sock, with bite marks from rats on her body. Semen discovered inside her body and mouth was later tested and matched to Ray. Flowers was the mother of four children and served as a Sunday school teacher and choir director at her church.

Ray became a suspect in the mysterious deaths of residents at the Royal Towers Apartments in Kansas City, which began not long after he moved into the building.

On October 10, 1993, Ernest Taylor, 66, was found stabbed to death in his apartment. In 1994, Ray was charged with the second-degree murder of Taylor. The charges were later dismissed, though police did have records showing that Ray sold Taylor's television to a pawn shop.

On December 8, 1993, Leroy Hightower, 54, was found dead. His body was badly decomposed and a cause of death was unable to be determined; Ray was never charged with his murder. Hightower was a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War and a retired officer for the Kansas City Police Department.

On March 30, 1994, Mia Smith, 29, was found strangled in the sixth-floor stairway of the apartment building. Though police were suspicious of Ray, he was never charged for her murder.

Upon the sentencing, Ray has remained in various prison facilities. As of September 2023, Ray is currently housed at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, under the ID number 511811.