Investigators say doorbell video, witness accounts and the suspect’s own statements connected him to the fatal August house fire.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 36-year-old Kansas City man faces second-degree felony murder and first-degree arson charges after authorities say he intentionally started a fire at his parents’ home, where firefighters later found his 59-year-old mother trapped on the second floor. Shirley Willis died after crews pulled her from the burning house on Aug. 18, according to police and court records.

The criminal case against Ryan I. Willis rests on several forms of evidence described in a probable cause statement, including Ring doorbell footage, accounts from neighbors, evidence collected around the front porch and statements investigators say Willis made after his arrest. Prosecutors allege Willis deliberately started the fire outside the residence in the 5000 block of Agnes Avenue. Willis told detectives that he started the blaze but denied knowing his mother was inside, according to reports citing the charging documents. The charges remain allegations, and the available records do not establish that Willis has been convicted.

The emergency unfolded shortly before 7 a.m., when Kansas City police and firefighters were sent to the house after reports of a fire and a possible person trapped inside. Fire crews arriving at the residence encountered heavy smoke and flames. Neighbors had already become aware that someone was in danger. Court records cited by local news organizations say an off-duty firefighter who happened to be passing through the neighborhood tried to enter through the front of the house but was forced back by the fire. On-duty crews later made their way inside and located Shirley Willis upstairs.

Firefighters carried her out of the residence and brought her to an ambulance crew. Paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but Willis was pronounced dead at the scene. Kansas City police identified her later that day. Investigators then treated the fire as a homicide and focused on Ryan Willis, who was still in the area when officers arrived. He was detained without incident, according to news reports based on the police investigation and court filing.

One neighbor gave investigators an account of the minutes before firefighters reached Shirley Willis. The neighbor said a woman came to his door and alerted him to the fire. After going outside, he could feel the heat and could see Shirley Willis upstairs, calling for help, according to the probable cause statement. The neighbor also reported seeing Ryan Willis across the street. The affidavit says Willis told the neighbor, “The house is on fire.” The neighbor urged him to help with the rescue, but investigators say Willis did not move. The neighbor and the off-duty firefighter were unable to get inside because of the intensity of the blaze.

Investigators also interviewed Willis’ father, who described an earlier encounter with his son that morning. According to the charging documents, Ryan Willis was not allowed inside the home and had asked to enter before his father left for work at about 5:30 a.m. His father refused but allowed him to remain on the front porch. Later that morning, the father received a motion alert from the home’s Ring doorbell system. Investigators say the resulting video showed Ryan Willis on the porch setting objects on fire. That footage became a central part of the homicide investigation.

Detectives searched the property after the fire and documented potential evidence around the porch. Reports citing the affidavit say investigators collected fire debris and a liquid sample and recovered a folding knife with a broken tip. Local reporting also said officers located a blue torch-style lighter near the scene. Investigators compared what they found with video and witness information as they reconstructed the sequence leading up to the fire. Authorities have not publicly released a complete forensic report explaining how each item factored into the charging decision.

During an interview at police headquarters, Willis admitted intentionally starting the fire, according to the probable cause statement. Investigators said he described using an old book and a blue lighter. The documents also allege that he tried to cover the Ring doorbell camera with a Kansas City flag. Willis told detectives he did so because he was ashamed of starting the fire, according to the affidavit. Those statements are part of the prosecution’s account of the case and have not been tested at trial.

A central question in the case is what Willis knew about his mother’s presence when he set the fire. He denied knowing that Shirley Willis was inside, according to the charging documents. Investigators said, however, that he acknowledged seeing her vehicle in the driveway. Witnesses also described Shirley Willis calling for help after the fire began. The publicly available reports do not identify a stated motive for setting the house on fire, and authorities have not announced evidence establishing why Willis allegedly decided to ignite the property that morning.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Willis with second-degree felony murder and first-degree arson the day after the fire. Local reports identified Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson as the official announcing the charges. Felony murder, as charged in the case, connects Willis’ alleged commission of the arson to his mother’s death. That legal theory does not eliminate the prosecution’s obligation to prove each required element of the charged offenses in court.

Willis was initially ordered held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. Early reports said a bond review was scheduled for late August and a preliminary hearing for Sept. 23. Publicly accessible news reports reviewed for this account did not establish the outcome of that September hearing or show a later disposition of the charges. The latest verified reporting therefore leaves the case pending, with the murder and arson counts representing accusations rather than findings of guilt.

The fire left investigators with several overlapping sources of evidence: a home surveillance system that allegedly captured activity before the blaze, neighbors who witnessed the fire and attempted to help, physical items collected at the scene and statements attributed to Willis after he was taken into custody. The prosecution will have to establish how those pieces fit together if the case proceeds through court, while Willis will have the opportunity to challenge the state’s evidence and its interpretation of what happened.

Shirley Willis’ death began as an emergency response to a burning home and became a homicide investigation within hours. Her funeral was later scheduled for Sept. 12 in Kansas City, according to a published memorial notice. More than a month after the fire, the publicly confirmed record still centers on what investigators say happened on Agnes Avenue that morning and on the criminal charges filed against her son. No conviction has been reported in the sources reviewed for this article.

Author note: Last updated September 29, 2026.