HUTCHINSON— The appeal hearing for a Hutchinson teen sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing his mother and sister in a fire is scheduled before the Kansas Supreme Court this week. The hearing is set for Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to a the Kansas Judicial Branch web site.
Samuel Vonachen, now 21-year-old, was tried as an adult and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. He was convicted of setting fire to the family home in September of 2013. While his father got out of the home, his mother and sister were trapped upstairs.
Police found Vonachen walking toward the house, smelling of gasoline. After interrogation, he admitted to burning down the house. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of aggravated arson. The district court granted the state's motion to certify Vonachen as an adult. The jury rejected numerous claims of mental disease or defect and convicted him on all counts. He is not eligible for parole until 2039.
The defense motion before the Supreme Court states that Vonachen's rights were violated due to the state's abolishment of the insanity defense. The motion also states that Vonachen's admission to police should have been suppressed and that admission of the defendant's private writings in the trial should not have been allowed.