A preliminary hearing was held last week for Ruslan Huseynov, the man accused of murdering Citizen sports reporter Dennis Sharkey.
With an Azerbaijani language interpreter present via video call, the hearing was held Thursday, June 18 before Judge Quint Shafer and the case was bound over for trial. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 before Judge Myles Perry.
Huseynov, 35, is accused of second degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. He was charged in June of last year after the January 2025 murder on Interstate 29 near Northwest 72nd Street.
Huseynov speaks the southern dialect of Azerbaijani, and attempts to locate a certified interpreter in Missouri failed. One was found in California and will attend the hearing remotely. Huseynov remains in custody in the Platte County Detention Center without bond.
In September, the Citizen reported Huseynov made about 350 phone calls during his first two months in jail, many of these were in Azerbaijani, forcing the state to locate a translator to analyze the content of these calls.
Huseynov, who worked for World Liquor in both Liberty and Platte City, also faces municipal charges in Pleasant Valley for failure to signal a turn. He faces additional criminal charges in Platte City, for allegedly stealing from the Platte City Price Chopper several times.
According to court documents, Huseynov has “several police interactions and a conviction for sexual battery out of Kansas.” In that case, police were concerned he would not show up to court as he planned to leave the country and return to Azerbaijan.