Jury recommends death penalty for Joshua Rocha in murder of North Kansas City police officer
By Rachel Henderson, Sam Hartle
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LIBERTY, Mo. (KSHB) — A St. Charles-based jury recommended Joshua Rocha be sentenced to death for the 2022 murder of North Kansas City Police Ofc. Daniel Vasquez.
Jurors needed less than a day to deliberate on the sentencing, in which they were tasked with determining whether Rocha would serve the rest of his life in prison or face the death penalty.
A Clay County Circuit Court judge set a Nov. 24, 2025, date for formal sentencing.
Rocha admitted to killing Vasquez during a traffic stop in 2022.
Earlier this month, jurors found Rocha guilty of first-degree murder.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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