KANSAS CITY, Mo -- A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for premeditated first-degree murder in Johnson County for the 2024 killing of his boyfriend.

The defendant, Joseph Wacaster, received a "Hard 25" sentence on Tuesday in Johnson County District Court, meaning he will be expected to serve a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The sentencing comes after deputies found 27-year-old Cade Blackburn dead inside a home on March 30, 2024, near 5th and Edgewood Drive in Edgerton. It appeared the victim had been stabbed, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

Family members told deputies that the victim lived with Wacaster, and that they had received "cryptic" messages from their son's phone that they believed were sent by Wa

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