MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
A newly released probable cause affidavit provides additional details about the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old McPherson man following a confrontation after a house party in rural McPherson County.
According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and court records, Daniel Hawkinson has been charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter in the Jan. 31 shooting death of Joshua Soden, 19, of McPherson.
The KBI is assisting the McPherson County Sheriff's Office with the investigation.
Investigators say the shooting followed a party held at a rural residence southwest of Inman where attendees had been consuming alcohol. During the evening, several verbal and physical altercations reportedly occurred involving multiple partygoers, including Hawkinson.
According to investigators, the party broke up shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. Hawkinson left the residence in his pickup truck with two passengers. At the same time, another pickup carrying Soden and several others was heading back toward the party after Soden reportedly wanted to confront Hawkinson because he believed Hawkinson had struck a female friend during the gathering.
The two pickup trucks met in the roadway near the 300 block of Arapaho Road, approximately two miles from the party.
The affidavit states Soden exited his vehicle, approached the driver's side of Hawkinson's truck, opened the driver's door and struck Hawkinson multiple times with a closed fist. Investigators allege Hawkinson then drew a pistol and fired three shots, striking Soden.
Authorities say Hawkinson drove away from the scene, allegedly driving over Soden's legs as he left. The affidavit states he discarded the handgun before calling 911 about a minute later and then drove to the Inman Police Department, where he contacted officers.
Emergency responders pronounced Soden dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined Soden died from two gunshot wounds to the trunk that damaged his heart and right lung. A third gunshot wound passed through his right forearm. The manner of death was ruled homicide. The medical examiner noted there were no significant injuries to Soden's hands.
Based on the investigation, Senior Special Agent Todd Leeds wrote there was probable cause to believe Hawkinson knowingly killed Soden "upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion," supporting the voluntary manslaughter charge.
The affidavit expands on the initial KBI news release, which stated that two groups left the party in separate pickup trucks, met on a rural road near 4th Avenue and Arapaho Road, and became involved in a physical altercation during which Soden was shot and killed. At the time, authorities said the shooter called 911 and went to the Inman Police Department, but had not yet been arrested.