(KANSAS CITY, Mo., AP) – A Kansas City man is charged with killing his girlfriend as his two young children watched.

Jackson County prosecutors charged 43-year-old Ja (Jay) Ray Monday with first-degree murder in the stabbing and drowning of 21-year-old Essence Willoughby last November.

Family members say Willoughby had ended her relationship with Ray but agreed to go to church with him and their two boys last Nov. 11.

Police allege Willoughby was killed after church in a nearby wooded area as their 3- and 2-year-old sons sat nearby.

The Kansas City Star reports that the 3-year-old gave police details about the attack and helped officers find her body.

Online court records do not indicate that Ray has an attorney.