Documents: Kansas choir teacher stabbed in the neck while sitting at a picnic table in a public park
By Eric Graves, JoBeth Davis, Nick Sloan
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OLATHE, Kansas (KMBC) — Charging documents are providing a deeper look into a stabbing at a popular public park in Olathe, Kansas.
The victim, a well-known middle school choir teacher, had been sitting at a picnic table at the park when she suddenly felt a hard blow to the side of her head.
Documents state victim Jamie Trumpp told police that she thought she had been hit by a ball until people ran to her screaming, and she looked down and saw a pool of blood on the ground.
Trumpp suffered a 5-inch-long cut to the front of her neck that was approximately half an inch deep. She was rushed to an area hospital where she was admitted, and needed both internal and external stitches to close the wound.
Christi Julius’s daughter was at the park when the attack happened. Her daughter called to tell her she was safe after running from the scene.
“Just that people are yelling and screaming to call the cops, and, that she heard somebody got stabbed and that she was safe,” Julius said.
Suspect Kwan Trezvant was taken into custody and charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection to the incident, which authorities called an unprovoked attack.
The case affidavit shows witnesses expressed concern regarding Trezvant’s actions leading up to the stabbing.
One witness told police he saw a man, later identified as Trezvant, acting “weird,” and he suggested to others that they leave the pavilion area.
Witnesses then said they saw Trezvant approach Trumpp, yell an expletive, swing his arm, and stab Trumpp in the neck.
A witness chased Trezvant who immediately fled the area.
Multiple witnesses told police that Trezvant was acting strange or agitated before the attack.
Police ultimately found Trezvant sitting in a lawn chair behind a nearby home. As he was taken into custody, he reportedly said multiple statements including, “I know I’m stupid. I didn’t mean to bro, she kept on f****** with me bro,” and “I had no choice.”
Documents show Trezvant was taken to the Olathe Police Department for an interview. While he was in the interview room, detectives saw Trezvant yelling or having a conversation with “individuals who were not present.”
Trezvant reportedly made utterances like, “You made me stab her,” and it’s the “police department’s fault” that “I stabbed her.”
Defense attorneys for Trezvant filed a motion Monday requesting a mental evaluation to determine whether he is able to stand trial.
In the filing, Trezvant’s attorney said there is reason to believe he may be suffering from a mental illness or defect that could affect his ability to participate in his defense.
If granted, the request would suspend the case while the evaluation is completed.
Olathe defense attorney Michael Duma, who is not affiliated with the case, said the mental evaluations bring the case to a halt.
“Usually, that takes 30 to 60 days for a local practitioner to go out there, visit with the defendant and make that initial determination of whether or not they’re competent or whether or not they need more restorative treatment,” Duma said.
Duma said the evaluation is essentially a clinical interview, where a licensed professional tries to determine whether or not the defendant can understand the proceedings against them and whether or not they can assist in defending themselves.
“That is a very low burden,” he said. “And so I think simply having mental health disorders does not necessarily mean that you are incompetent to stand trial.”
If the defendant is not deemed competent for trial, Duma said the defendant typically will be sent to a facility where their competency can be restored.
“During that 90 day period, they’re supposed to give a report, as to whether or not that person is reasonably foreseeable to have their competency restored within a reasonable period of time,” Duma said.
Duma said in a majority of cases, the defendant’s competency is restored and they’re able to go to trial.
Court records show Trezvant has prior cases in both Johnson and Douglas counties.
In August 2024, he pleaded guilty in Johnson County to misdemeanor charges of battery against a law enforcement officer and battery against a health care worker.
He was sentenced to 119 days in jail.
Earlier that year, he also entered a no-contest plea in Douglas County to felony reckless endangerment.
In a statement, the Olathe School District said community support for Trumpp, who is a choir teacher at Indian Trail Middle School, has been especially meaningful.
“We are aware of the meals and donation efforts to support the Trumpp family, and it has been wonderful to see so many people, especially our educators, rally around one of our own here in Olathe with such compassion and generosity,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
A meal train for the Trumpp family shows volunteers have signed up to provide dinners for the family of five for a month, and a donation effort has raised more than $35,000 to help.
In addition, community members are rallying to help the family with chores like laundry, grabbing groceries, yard work and more.
The district statement went on to say, “We are grateful for her progress and recovery at home, and our thoughts remain with her and her family.”
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