David Exposito was a businessman, a father of three, and the former husband of Claire McCaskill, a prominent Missouri politician who served as the state auditor and later as a U.S. senator. He was also the victim of a brutal murder that remains unsolved to this day. What happened to David Exposito on December 12, 2005, and who was behind his death?
The Shooting
According to KMBC Channel 9, Exposito was found lying in the street near a day-care center in Kansas City, Kansas, at about 2:50 p.m. He had been shot in the upper torso and died immediately, police said. He had apparently been shot inside a vehicle, then thrown out. A suspect was seen leaving the area in a blue-green, older model car with two doors and a white leather top and gold wheel rims. Police later found that vehicle and processed it for evidence.
The Motive
The motive for the killing was unclear, but authorities speculated that it could have been drug-related. Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome Gorman said that they were looking at several possible scenarios. Exposito had a history of drug use and legal troubles. In 1994, he was caught smoking marijuana at a Kansas City-area casino boat, while his then-wife McCaskill was out of town. They divorced the next year. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. He also faced several civil lawsuits over unpaid debts and taxes.
The Family
Exposito’s death was a shock and a tragedy for his family, especially his children with McCaskill. They were 18-year-old son Austin and two daughters, Maddie, 16, and Lily, 14. McCaskill, who was living in St. Louis at the time, issued a statement expressing her grief and asking for privacy. “Obviously this is an incredibly difficult time for me and my children, as they grieve the loss of their father,” she said. McCaskill later remarried to Joseph Shepard, a wealthy businessman.
The Impact
Exposito’s death also had an impact on Missouri politics, as McCaskill was preparing to run for the U.S. Senate in 2006 against Republican incumbent Jim Talent. McCaskill had already served as the Jackson County prosecutor and the state auditor, and was seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Her ex-husband’s murder raised questions about her personal life and her judgment, but she managed to overcome the negative publicity and focus on her campaign. She defeated Talent by a narrow margin of less than 50,000 votes out of nearly two million cast. She went on to serve two terms in the Senate, before losing her re-election bid in 2018 to Republican Josh Hawley.
The Conclusion
David Exposito’s cause of death was clear: he was shot by an unknown assailant who fled the scene. But his case remains unsolved, with no arrests or charges made. His family and friends still wonder who killed him and why. His ex-wife Claire McCaskill moved on with her life and career, but never forgot him. She once said in an interview that she still loved him and wished he could have seen their children grow up. David Exposito’s death was more than just a headline; it was a human tragedy that left behind unanswered questions and broken hearts.
