SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a second suspect in custody.

Just before 7:30a.m. Sept. 21, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting the 1600 Block of SW Lane in Topeka, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

At the scene, officers located a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;

Late Monday, police reported as a result of their investigation they arrested 31-year-old Bo Thomas Shipley of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Battery and&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

On Thursday, police reported the arrest of&nbsp;&nbsp;Dylan Dean Thomas, 31, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and he faces charges in an unrelated Aggravated Assault incident, according to Connell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664543311119.png" alt="Thomas-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a second suspect in custody.Just before 7:30a.m. Sept. 21, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting the 1600 Block of SW Lane in Topeka, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.At the scene, officers located a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664274881357.png" alt="Shipley -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shipley -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Late Monday, police reported as a result of their investigation they arrested 31-year-old Bo Thomas Shipley of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Battery and&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.On Thursday, police reported the arrest of&nbsp;&nbsp;Dylan Dean Thomas, 31, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and he faces charges in an unrelated Aggravated Assault incident, according to Connell.

Police arrest second Kan. suspect after shooting investigation

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a third homicide in Topeka this week have made an arrest.

Just after 10a.m. Friday, police responded to the Meadowlark Apartments 1621 SW 37th Terrace in Topeka after receiving multiple reports of a shooting, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Upon arrival, officers located one man identified as&nbsp;Keith K. Gaylord Jr., 23 of Topeka. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. They located another individual with injuries believed to be non-life threatening. The injured individual was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital, and was in stable condition late Friday.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Bruce Holloway Jr., 20, of Lawrence, on a requested charge of first degree murder, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.

This is the third homicide in Topeka in this week. This incident at the apartment complex is not believed to be related to the Friday's earlier homicide in connection with a body found under the Interstate 70 Bridge near the intersection of SE Quincy and SE 2nd Street or the shooting death at a home&nbsp;3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in Topeka on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664586524758.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a third homicide in Topeka this week have made an arrest.Just after 10a.m. Friday, police responded to the Meadowlark Apartments 1621 SW 37th Terrace in Topeka after receiving multiple reports of a shooting, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Upon arrival, officers located one man identified as&nbsp;Keith K. Gaylord Jr., 23 of Topeka. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. They located another individual with injuries believed to be non-life threatening. The injured individual was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital, and was in stable condition late Friday.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664631547802.png" alt="Holloway-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Holloway-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result of the investigation, police arrested Bruce Holloway Jr., 20, of Lawrence, on a requested charge of first degree murder, according to Police Captain Jerry Monasmith.This is the third homicide in Topeka in this week. This incident at the apartment complex is not believed to be related to the Friday's earlier homicide in connection with a body found under the Interstate 70 Bridge near the intersection of SE Quincy and SE 2nd Street or the shooting death at a home&nbsp;3500 Block of SW Kerry Avenue in Topeka on Thursday.

Police arrest suspect in Kansas apartment complex murder

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas man after a nearly 3-hour standoff.

Just after 9:30p.m. Sept. 28, sheriff's deputies arrived at the Garden Walk apartment complex 1701 N. 10th in Independence, Kansas, to assist police who had received calls that 32-year-old Steven Shanstra of Independence, Kansas had entered one of the apartments with a sword, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

  Officers knew Shanstra had three felony warrants out of Montgomery County. Deputies and Officers entered the apartment with consent by the tenant and attempted to contact Shanstra but heard him barricading the bedroom door.&nbsp; He refused to come out.  Deputies determined Shanstra was the only occupant in the apartment and backed out to start the barricaded subject protocol.

&nbsp;The county SWAT Team and Members of the Montgomery County Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT) arrived and started establishing contact with Shanstra via phone. 

 At approximately 11:52pm, CNT was able to successfully establish contact with Shanstra via cell phone.  At midnight, CNT was able to talk Shanstra out of the apartment and took him into custody. 

Deputies booked him on all three felony warrants for aggravated failure to appear, according to Wade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664392442472.png" alt="Shanstra-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Shanstra-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas man after a nearly 3-hour standoff.Just after 9:30p.m. Sept. 28, sheriff's deputies arrived at the Garden Walk apartment complex 1701 N. 10th in Independence, Kansas, to assist police who had received calls that 32-year-old Steven Shanstra of Independence, Kansas had entered one of the apartments with a sword, according to Sheriff Ron Wade. Officers knew Shanstra had three felony warrants out of Montgomery County. Deputies and Officers entered the apartment with consent by the tenant and attempted to contact Shanstra but heard him barricading the bedroom door.&nbsp; He refused to come out. Deputies determined Shanstra was the only occupant in the apartment and backed out to start the barricaded subject protocol.&nbsp;The county SWAT Team and Members of the Montgomery County Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT) arrived and started establishing contact with Shanstra via phone. At approximately 11:52pm, CNT was able to successfully establish contact with Shanstra via cell phone. At midnight, CNT was able to talk Shanstra out of the apartment and took him into custody. Deputies booked him on all three felony warrants for aggravated failure to appear, according to Wade.

Wanted Kansas man with sword arrested after standoff 

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.

Shortly after 8:30p.m. Wednesday an officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of the 800 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. The vehicle driven by 33-year-old Justen Houk fled from the officer and a pursuit followed until it was terminated on north River Road.&nbsp;

On Thursday police located and arrested&nbsp; Haukon on a District Court warrant for fleeing and attempting to elude police, driving while suspended, reckless driving, and other traffic offenses, according to Wilson.

Hauk has a previous conviction for&nbsp;Indecent Solicitation of a Child and two convictions for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; In May, the KDOC&nbsp; listed him as an absconder.

He is being held on a $2500 bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664495156559.png" alt="Hauk-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Hauk-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.Shortly after 8:30p.m. Wednesday an officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of the 800 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. The vehicle driven by 33-year-old Justen Houk fled from the officer and a pursuit followed until it was terminated on north River Road.&nbsp;On Thursday police located and arrested&nbsp; Haukon on a District Court warrant for fleeing and attempting to elude police, driving while suspended, reckless driving, and other traffic offenses, according to Wilson.Hauk has a previous conviction for&nbsp;Indecent Solicitation of a Child and two convictions for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; In May, the KDOC&nbsp; listed him as an absconder.He is being held on a $2500 bond, according to online jail records.

Kan. man convicted of child sex crime jailed after police chase

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

On Wednesday, a police officer conducted a traffic stop on a Kia Soul for failure to signal intent of turn at a stop sign located at N 3rd St. and E. Hamline in Garden City, according to a statement from the Finney County Sheriff.

The officer identified the driver as 24-year-old Mariela Sanchez&nbsp; of Garden City. 

During the traffic stop, reasonable suspicion was obtained to detain the vehicle and driver for further investigation. A Finney County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy responded to assist and indicated the presence of narcotics.

A search resulted in the location and seizure of approximately just under a pound of Methamphetamine that tested positive for the presence of Fentanyl, a digital scale, and drug paraphernalia used to introduce drugs into the human body.

Officers arrested&nbsp;Sanchez on requested charges of distribute opiate opium narcotic certain stimulant; 100 grams -&lt; 1 kilogramDistribute or possess w/int to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal usePossession of opiate opium narcotic or certain stimulantUse/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664466337579.png" alt="Photo Finney Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Finney Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a traffic stop.On Wednesday, a police officer conducted a traffic stop on a Kia Soul for failure to signal intent of turn at a stop sign located at N 3rd St. and E. Hamline in Garden City, according to a statement from the Finney County Sheriff.The officer identified the driver as 24-year-old Mariela Sanchez&nbsp; of Garden City. During the traffic stop, reasonable suspicion was obtained to detain the vehicle and driver for further investigation. A Finney County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy responded to assist and indicated the presence of narcotics.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664466107316.png" alt="Sanchez-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Sanchez-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A search resulted in the location and seizure of approximately just under a pound of Methamphetamine that tested positive for the presence of Fentanyl, a digital scale, and drug paraphernalia used to introduce drugs into the human body.Officers arrested&nbsp;Sanchez on requested charges of distribute opiate opium narcotic certain stimulant; 100 grams -&lt; 1 kilogramDistribute or possess w/int to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal usePossession of opiate opium narcotic or certain stimulantUse/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body.

Sheriff: Kansas woman was transporting fentanyl laced meth

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a vehicle accident with a disturbance at Murdock and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;

At the scene, officers locate several citizens providing first aid to the victim. Two citizens played a vital role by putting themselves in harm’s way to subdue the suspect which allowed other witnesses to render aid. 

One witness utilized her vehicle by driving it toward the suspect identified as 38-year-old Julian Gonzalez resulting in the suspect disengaging. Another witness who was carrying a concealed firearm held the Gonzalez at gunpoint until officers arrived on the scene.

Investigators learned Gonzalez intentionally used his white 2010 Hyundai Elantra to strike a gray 2018 Chevrolet Cruz, driven by the victim. The Chevy Cruz also had a 28-yearold woman, a 4-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy in the car. 

Gonzalez then exited his vehicle and began breaking the Chevy windows out with nun-chucks. The adult victims were getting the juvenile victims out of the vehicle when Gonzalez began stabbing the 30-year-old man in the lower body, according to Ditch.

A few citizens gave commands at gunpoint to Gonzalez to stop and other citizens provided first aid to the victim until officers arrived. The adult female victim received minor lacerations from exiting the vehicle. All victims and the suspect were transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Police arrested Gonzalez on requested charges of attempted murder, according to Ditch.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664468922095.png" alt="GONZALEZ-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>GONZALEZ-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.Just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a vehicle accident with a disturbance at Murdock and West Street in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;At the scene, officers locate several citizens providing first aid to the victim. Two citizens played a vital role by putting themselves in harm’s way to subdue the suspect which allowed other witnesses to render aid. One witness utilized her vehicle by driving it toward the suspect identified as 38-year-old Julian Gonzalez resulting in the suspect disengaging. Another witness who was carrying a concealed firearm held the Gonzalez at gunpoint until officers arrived on the scene.Investigators learned Gonzalez intentionally used his white 2010 Hyundai Elantra to strike a gray 2018 Chevrolet Cruz, driven by the victim. The Chevy Cruz also had a 28-yearold woman, a 4-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy in the car. Gonzalez then exited his vehicle and began breaking the Chevy windows out with nun-chucks. The adult victims were getting the juvenile victims out of the vehicle when Gonzalez began stabbing the 30-year-old man in the lower body, according to Ditch.A few citizens gave commands at gunpoint to Gonzalez to stop and other citizens provided first aid to the victim until officers arrived. The adult female victim received minor lacerations from exiting the vehicle. All victims and the suspect were transported to an area hospital for treatment.Police arrested Gonzalez on requested charges of attempted murder, according to Ditch.&nbsp;

Man with concealed carry firearm held Kan. suspect for police

SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged animal cruelty and seized dozens of dogs.

On&nbsp;September 23, Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to check the welfare of several dogs located at 1076 West 120th Avenue in rural Conway Springs, according to the sheriff's office.

 The owner of the property, 46-year-old Samuel Roman, is a licensed breeder who recently had his license suspended by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. 

 Deputies observed multiple dogs in deplorable conditions, poor health, suffering from malnourishment and old injuries. 

 Deputies observed three dogs with fresh traumatic injuries that did not appear to be receiving medical attention.&nbsp; They were seized immediately and transported by Wellington Police Animal Control to Heersche’s Animal Clinic where they received care and treatment. 

 On September 28, Sumner County Deputies along with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Winfield Police Department, Cowley County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol served a search warrant on the property.

Officers seized 65 additional dogs ranging from puppies to adults. Animal Rescue operations, Beauties and Beasts, Golden Belt Humane Society, Caring Hands Humane Society were instrumental in transporting and finding foster homes for the animals.

Deputies arrested Roman on requested charges of Cruelty to animals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664482704393.png" alt="Roman-photo Sumner County" />
 <figcaption>Roman-photo Sumner County</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged animal cruelty and seized dozens of dogs.On&nbsp;September 23, Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to check the welfare of several dogs located at 1076 West 120th Avenue in rural Conway Springs, according to the sheriff's office. The owner of the property, 46-year-old Samuel Roman, is a licensed breeder who recently had his license suspended by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Deputies observed multiple dogs in deplorable conditions, poor health, suffering from malnourishment and old injuries. Deputies observed three dogs with fresh traumatic injuries that did not appear to be receiving medical attention.&nbsp; They were seized immediately and transported by Wellington Police Animal Control to Heersche’s Animal Clinic where they received care and treatment. On September 28, Sumner County Deputies along with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Winfield Police Department, Cowley County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol served a search warrant on the property.Officers seized 65 additional dogs ranging from puppies to adults. Animal Rescue operations, Beauties and Beasts, Golden Belt Humane Society, Caring Hands Humane Society were instrumental in transporting and finding foster homes for the animals.Deputies arrested Roman on requested charges of Cruelty to animals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff: Man arrested after 68 dogs seized at Kansas home

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting have arrested 35-year-old Emmanuel Rashad Walker, according to online jail records. Authorities booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at 6:30p.m. Tuesday.&nbsp;

Police have not released details of the arrest.

On July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.

First responders found <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bv3sq?member=20743751&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton </a>suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Several days later, Topeka Police issued an alert for help to locate Walker in reference to the homicide investigation.

Walker is being held on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated battery, domestic battery, assault, criminal trespass, burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement and a number of traffic violations, according to online jail records.

 Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658512386623.png" alt="&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting have arrested 35-year-old Emmanuel Rashad Walker, according to online jail records. Authorities booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at 6:30p.m. Tuesday.&nbsp;Police have not released details of the arrest.On July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.First responders found <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bv3sq?member=20743751&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton </a>suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.Several days later, Topeka Police issued an alert for help to locate Walker in reference to the homicide investigation.Walker is being held on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated battery, domestic battery, assault, criminal trespass, burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement and a number of traffic violations, according to online jail records. Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections

Kansas man wanted for July murder captured, held on $1M bond

RENO COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities with the Hutchinson Police Department Special Operations and Investigations Bureau completed an investigation into a juvenile sex offense and have two suspects in custody.&nbsp;

Police arrested Mark E. Rank, 57, Belle Plaine, on requested charges of Electronic Solicitation; Believes the child to be 14-15 YOA, and (2) Indecent Solicitation of a Child.

They also arrested 61-year-old Margaret A. Myrick of Belle Plaine, KS on a requested charge of (1) Conspiracy to Commit Indecent Solicitation of a Child.

The Hutchinson Police Department is asking anyone who is aware of illegal activity to please call Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS, the Hutchinson Police Department at 620-694-2834, or use your P3Tips App on your smartphone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664381090600.jpeg" alt="Mark E. Rank -Hutchinson Police" />
 <figcaption>Mark E. Rank -Hutchinson Police</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities with the Hutchinson Police Department Special Operations and Investigations Bureau completed an investigation into a juvenile sex offense and have two suspects in custody.&nbsp;Police arrested Mark E. Rank, 57, Belle Plaine, on requested charges of Electronic Solicitation; Believes the child to be 14-15 YOA, and (2) Indecent Solicitation of a Child.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664381100559.jpeg" alt="Margaret Myrick -photo Hutchinson Police" />
 <figcaption>Margaret Myrick -photo Hutchinson Police</figcaption>
 </figure>They also arrested 61-year-old Margaret A. Myrick of Belle Plaine, KS on a requested charge of (1) Conspiracy to Commit Indecent Solicitation of a Child.The Hutchinson Police Department is asking anyone who is aware of illegal activity to please call Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS, the Hutchinson Police Department at 620-694-2834, or use your P3Tips App on your smartphone.

Police: Kan. man and woman accused of child sex crimes

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent domestic dispute and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 3322 Railroad Avenue in reference to a reported disturbance, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. Individuals at the scene reported a woman had been struck by a vehicle and there had also been a stabbing.

Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect vehicle as it was attempting to flee the scene. The driver identified as 42-year-old Justin Merritt of Hays was taken into custody.

Witnesses at the scene stated the driver of the vehicle, Merritt, accelerated toward the victim several times, at one point striking her causing the victim to go over the hood of the vehicle, according to Bellendir. Further investigation indicated the suspect had several self-inflicted lacerations to an arm.&nbsp;

Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called to the location to examine Merritt. After medical treatment, Merritt was transported to the Barton County Jail without incident and booked on requested charges of aggravated battery and is being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664395302809.jpeg" alt="Merritt photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Merritt photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent domestic dispute and have a suspect in custody.Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 3322 Railroad Avenue in reference to a reported disturbance, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. Individuals at the scene reported a woman had been struck by a vehicle and there had also been a stabbing.Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect vehicle as it was attempting to flee the scene. The driver identified as 42-year-old Justin Merritt of Hays was taken into custody.Witnesses at the scene stated the driver of the vehicle, Merritt, accelerated toward the victim several times, at one point striking her causing the victim to go over the hood of the vehicle, according to Bellendir. Further investigation indicated the suspect had several self-inflicted lacerations to an arm.&nbsp;Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called to the location to examine Merritt. After medical treatment, Merritt was transported to the Barton County Jail without incident and booked on requested charges of aggravated battery and is being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.

 Sheriff: Kan. man arrested after woman struck by car 

PAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Kansas were notified this week that John Freeman Colt entered a Guilty plea in the Federal District Court of Utah to a single count of Failing to Register under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. His sentencing in Federal Court is currently scheduled for October 27, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

On June 30, 2021, Colt escaped from the Sexual Predator Treatment program located on the campus of Larned State Hospital. Following a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested in Wayne County, Utah on September 27, 2021.

He is currently charged under Kansas Law with Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony. Additionally, he is still subject to his civil commitment to the Kansas Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Once he completes his sentence on the federal conviction, arrangements will be made for Colt’s extradition back to Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632850718422.png" alt="Colt-photo Wayne County Utah" />
 <figcaption>Colt-photo Wayne County Utah</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Kansas were notified this week that John Freeman Colt entered a Guilty plea in the Federal District Court of Utah to a single count of Failing to Register under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. His sentencing in Federal Court is currently scheduled for October 27, according to a statement from Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1625086515798.png" alt="Colt during his escape from the Larned State Hospital-photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Colt during his escape from the Larned State Hospital-photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 30, 2021, Colt escaped from the Sexual Predator Treatment program located on the campus of Larned State Hospital. Following a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested in Wayne County, Utah on September 27, 2021.He is currently charged under Kansas Law with Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony. Additionally, he is still subject to his civil commitment to the Kansas Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Once he completes his sentence on the federal conviction, arrangements will be made for Colt’s extradition back to Kansas.

Escapee from Kan. sex offender program enters plea to federal charges

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking for help to identify a suspect who was reported to have been unlawfully taking photos of woman in changing rooms at an East Wichita department store, according to Wichita Police.

The incident occurred on September 7, at approximately 6:30 p.m.

If you recognize this person, call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or download the free P3 app to submit an anonymous tip. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664327480395.png" alt="Photos Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking for help to identify a suspect who was reported to have been unlawfully taking photos of woman in changing rooms at an East Wichita department store, according to Wichita Police.The incident occurred on September 7, at approximately 6:30 p.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664327684619.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>If you recognize this person, call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or download the free P3 app to submit an anonymous tip. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward!

Police: Man took photos of women in changing rooms at Kan. store

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects after a large drug investigation in southwest Kansas.

Just after 1a.m. Saturday, police and members of the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop in the 4100 block of E U.S. Highway 50 in Garden City, according to a media release.

After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted, where officers located counterfeit oxycodone pills mixed with fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

The driver, identified as 29-year-old Cheyenne McGahan and two passengers 53-year-old April Williams and&nbsp; 46-year-old Steven Calhoun both from Garden City were taken into custody following the traffic stop.  

The Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at Calhoun’s residence at 2914 N Fleming Street #210.

Through the entire investigation, officers seized as evidence from the traffic stop and Calhoun’s residence 991 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, 38.1 grams of Methamphetamine , 40 units of liquid Methamphetamine/Fentanyl, 22 units of Fentanyl&nbsp; and items indicative of the distribution and consumption of illegal narcotics

Calhoun and Williams were booking on requested charges of Distribution of Opiates/Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Stimulant, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 

McGahan is being held on requested charges of Possession of Opiates, Possession of Stimulants, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and two out of County Warrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664309962436.png" alt="Fentanyl pills seized in the bust- Photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Fentanyl pills seized in the bust- Photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects after a large drug investigation in southwest Kansas.Just after 1a.m. Saturday, police and members of the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop in the 4100 block of E U.S. Highway 50 in Garden City, according to a media release.After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted, where officers located counterfeit oxycodone pills mixed with fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664309676129.png" alt="McGahan-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>McGahan-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The driver, identified as 29-year-old Cheyenne McGahan and two passengers 53-year-old April Williams and&nbsp; 46-year-old Steven Calhoun both from Garden City were taken into custody following the traffic stop. The Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at Calhoun’s residence at 2914 N Fleming Street #210.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664309625349.png" alt="Calhoun-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Calhoun-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Through the entire investigation, officers seized as evidence from the traffic stop and Calhoun’s residence 991 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, 38.1 grams of Methamphetamine , 40 units of liquid Methamphetamine/Fentanyl, 22 units of Fentanyl&nbsp; and items indicative of the distribution and consumption of illegal narcotics<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664310254170.png" alt="Williams-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Calhoun and Williams were booking on requested charges of Distribution of Opiates/Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Stimulant, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. McGahan is being held on requested charges of Possession of Opiates, Possession of Stimulants, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and two out of County Warrants.

Police arrest 3, make large fentanyl bust in southwest Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664274881357.png" alt="Shipley-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shipley-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting have a suspect in custody.Just before 7:30a.m. Sept. 21, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting the 1600 Block of SW Lane in Topeka, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.At the scene, officers located a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;Late Monday, police reported as a result of their investigation they arrested 31-year-old Bo Thomas Shipley of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Battery and&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Police capture wanted Kansas shooting suspect

BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex crime accusations.

On Monday, police arrested 25-year-old Aaron Langley-Dunning of El Dorado, Kansas, after an investigation into a cyber-tip, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), alleging the sexual exploitation of children, according to a media release from El Dorado Police. Aaron was arrested on requested charges that include 43 counts of aggravated internet trading in child pornography, one count electronic solicitation, one count indecent solicitation of a child, and one count sexual exploitation of a child.

Langley-Dunning was arrested in Sumner County in January, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664288906289.png" alt="Langley-Dunning-photo El Dorado Police" />
 <figcaption>Langley-Dunning-photo El Dorado Police</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex crime accusations.On Monday, police arrested 25-year-old Aaron Langley-Dunning of El Dorado, Kansas, after an investigation into a cyber-tip, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), alleging the sexual exploitation of children, according to a media release from El Dorado Police. Aaron was arrested on requested charges that include 43 counts of aggravated internet trading in child pornography, one count electronic solicitation, one count indecent solicitation of a child, and one count sexual exploitation of a child. Langley-Dunning was arrested in Sumner County in January, according to online jail records.

Cyber-tip leads to arrest of Kan. man for alleged child sex crimes

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A Salina man was arrested after an aggravated burglary incident in southeast Salina early Monday evening.

Just after 6:30p.m., a 62-year-old Salina woman returned to her home on Red Fox Lane and heard a door at the back of the house slam shut, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

In her bedroom, she found items strewn about. The woman then went around to the front of the house and saw a skinny, balding white male who appeared to be in his late 20s or 30s. He was wearing a blue sweat suit. Other witnesses said he was wearing Adidas sweats with a white stripe down the side.

When the woman asked him what he was doing there, he told her he lived in the residence.

It appeared that approximately $20 worth of food had been eaten. Also, the woman's SIG Sauer 232 .380 caliber hand gun was missing. Additionally, a cellphone that did not belong to the woman was found in the residence.

Shortly after the woman's encounter with the alleged burglar, an officer located a person matching his description near the intersection of Manchester Road and E. Republic Avenue. Deputies arrested Christopher Garrison, 31, of Salina on requested charges of Aggravated burglary and Theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664294279665.png" alt="Garrison -photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Garrison -photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina man was arrested after an aggravated burglary incident in southeast Salina early Monday evening.Just after 6:30p.m., a 62-year-old Salina woman returned to her home on Red Fox Lane and heard a door at the back of the house slam shut, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.In her bedroom, she found items strewn about. The woman then went around to the front of the house and saw a skinny, balding white male who appeared to be in his late 20s or 30s. He was wearing a blue sweat suit. Other witnesses said he was wearing Adidas sweats with a white stripe down the side.When the woman asked him what he was doing there, he told her he lived in the residence.It appeared that approximately $20 worth of food had been eaten. Also, the woman's SIG Sauer 232 .380 caliber hand gun was missing. Additionally, a cellphone that did not belong to the woman was found in the residence.Shortly after the woman's encounter with the alleged burglar, an officer located a person matching his description near the intersection of Manchester Road and E. Republic Avenue. Deputies arrested Christopher Garrison, 31, of Salina on requested charges of Aggravated burglary and Theft.

Kansas woman finds burglary suspect outside her home

Law enforcement authorities have arrest a teen in connection to a threatening statement written on a women's bathroom wall at Salina South High School.

On Monday, a School Resource Officer was made aware of a threatening statement written on one of the women’s bathroom walls at Salina South High School. The statement indicated that a school shooting would take place on September 27, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. according to a statement from Salina Police.

USD 305 Staff notified parents of the threat via email correspondence. Please know that the Salina Police Department worked hand in hand with USD305 school officials to investigate this incident and ensure that local schools were safe. On September 27th, the police department had an increased law enforcement presence at Salina South High School.

On Tuesday, a citizen contacted the Police Department with information that led to the arrest of a 14-year-old female student of Salina South High School. The 14-year-old will be booked into juvenile detention, and the Salina Police Department is requesting charges of Criminal Threat and misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property.

The Salina Police Department takes these threats seriously and will work to identify suspect(s) and make an arrest when probable cause exists. The Salina Police Department would like to remind the public that citizen tips are often instrumental in helping clear criminal cases.

SALINE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and USD 305 Salina are investigating an alleged school threat written on a bathroom wall at Salina South High School. The threat has prompted an increase in police presence Tuesday.

In a text to parents and guardians Monday, Salina South Principal Charles Kipp wrote, "Increased conversations about school safety are occurring nationwide. Our goal is to partner with you to ensure our schools are safe.

&nbsp;There was a report of graffiti in a girl's restroom stall that included the statements, "School shooting tmrw 8:30 a.m." and "Get ready! Bring yo guns to school and let the fun begin!"

We have been working with the Salina Police Department on this matter. Unfortunately, in this instance we have been unable to identify the individual(s) who were responsible for the statements.

As always, our goal is to ensure the safety of students and staff. There will be increased police presence tomorrow morning at our school, and our staff will be monitoring the hallways and the school.

If your student shares any information with you about this threat, please let me know. Many times students have access to information that we do not.

It is a good time to remind your student to notify an adult if they hear or read information that could indicate a school safety issue. Open communication is the best way for us to maintain a safe learning environment."

Law enforcement authorities have arrest a teen in connection to a threatening statement written on a women's bathroom wall at Salina South High School.On Monday, a School Resource Officer was made aware of a threatening statement written on one of the women’s bathroom walls at Salina South High School. The statement indicated that a school shooting would take place on September 27, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. according to a statement from Salina Police.USD 305 Staff notified parents of the threat via email correspondence. Please know that the Salina Police Department worked hand in hand with USD305 school officials to investigate this incident and ensure that local schools were safe. On September 27th, the police department had an increased law enforcement presence at Salina South High School.On Tuesday, a citizen contacted the Police Department with information that led to the arrest of a 14-year-old female student of Salina South High School. The 14-year-old will be booked into juvenile detention, and the Salina Police Department is requesting charges of Criminal Threat and misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property.The Salina Police Department takes these threats seriously and will work to identify suspect(s) and make an arrest when probable cause exists. The Salina Police Department would like to remind the public that citizen tips are often instrumental in helping clear criminal cases.----------SALINE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and USD 305 Salina are investigating an alleged school threat written on a bathroom wall at Salina South High School. The threat has prompted an increase in police presence Tuesday.In a text to parents and guardians Monday, Salina South Principal Charles Kipp wrote, "Increased conversations about school safety are occurring nationwide. Our goal is to partner with you to ensure our schools are safe.&nbsp;There was a report of graffiti in a girl's restroom stall that included the statements, "School shooting tmrw 8:30 a.m." and "Get ready! Bring yo guns to school and let the fun begin!"We have been working with the Salina Police Department on this matter. Unfortunately, in this instance we have been unable to identify the individual(s) who were responsible for the statements.As always, our goal is to ensure the safety of students and staff. There will be increased police presence tomorrow morning at our school, and our staff will be monitoring the hallways and the school.If your student shares any information with you about this threat, please let me know. Many times students have access to information that we do not.It is a good time to remind your student to notify an adult if they hear or read information that could indicate a school safety issue. Open communication is the best way for us to maintain a safe learning environment."

Police arrest 14-year-old for alleged threat at Kansas high school

SEDGWICK&nbsp; —A jury on Friday convicted a Kansas felon for the murder of a woman at a Wichita motel.&nbsp;

The jury found 42-year-old Ricky Hollins guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Stephanie Duran, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. Hollins was also originally charged with buying sexual relations, according the district attorney's office.

Just after 10a.m. October 22, 2020, police responded to a call of an unresponsive woman in a room at the Budget Motel in the 1300 Block of South Broad in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;&nbsp;A staff member of the motel located Duran in the room and called the police.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. The following evening, police arrested and booked Hollins into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records. He remains jailed on $200,000 bond.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Hollins has two previous drug convictions in Sedgwick County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603833413290.png" alt="Hollins-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hollins-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK&nbsp; —A jury on Friday convicted a Kansas felon for the murder of a woman at a Wichita motel.&nbsp;The jury found 42-year-old Ricky Hollins guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Stephanie Duran, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. Hollins was also originally charged with buying sexual relations, according the district attorney's office.Just after 10a.m. October 22, 2020, police responded to a call of an unresponsive woman in a room at the Budget Motel in the 1300 Block of South Broad in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;&nbsp;A staff member of the motel located Duran in the room and called the police.She was pronounced dead at the scene. The following evening, police arrested and booked Hollins into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to online jail records. He remains jailed on $200,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollins has two previous drug convictions in Sedgwick County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Jury: Kansas felon guilty of murder while buying sex

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a violent attack and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 6:30a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a stabbing that occurred in the 400 block of West Central in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch. 

While en route to the call, officers learned a neighbor transported the 41-year-old male victim to a local hospital.

The investigation revealed 29-year-old Trey Schulz of Wichita and the victim were in a verbal altercation when Schulz stabbed the victim over 30 times.

Police arrested Schulz on requested charges of attempted murder. 

The victim and Schulz are known to each other, and this is not a random incident. The victim has since been released from the hospital, according to Ditch. Schulz is<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069699"> being held on a $150,000 bond</a>, according to online jail records.

On Sept. 9, police arrested Schultz on requested charges of criminal carrying a weapon; bludgeon, sand club knucklee; criminal trespass and drug possession. He had a previous drug conviction in Sumner County in 2015, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664222246737.png" alt="Schulz-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Schulz-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a violent attack and have a suspect in custody.Just before 6:30a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a stabbing that occurred in the 400 block of West Central in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch. While en route to the call, officers learned a neighbor transported the 41-year-old male victim to a local hospital.The investigation revealed 29-year-old Trey Schulz of Wichita and the victim were in a verbal altercation when Schulz stabbed the victim over 30 times.Police arrested Schulz on requested charges of attempted murder. The victim and Schulz are known to each other, and this is not a random incident. The victim has since been released from the hospital, according to Ditch. Schulz is<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069699"> being held on a $150,000 bond</a>, according to online jail records.On Sept. 9, police arrested Schultz on requested charges of criminal carrying a weapon; bludgeon, sand club knucklee; criminal trespass and drug possession. He had a previous drug conviction in Sumner County in 2015, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Police: Kansas felon stabbed victim 30 times

RENO COUNTY— The preliminary is set for Tuesday for registered Kansas sex offender on numerous counts of inappropriate contact with children.&nbsp;

Wayne Willard, 34, Hutchinson is charged with 10 counts of rape of a child under the age of 14. Each count carries a mandatory 50 years in prison. He’s also charged with Rape by force which carries a possible sentence of 12 to 54 years, and an alternative count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He was arrested by law enforcement back in April of this year.

The investigation started with an incident reported to patrol deputies. They got detectives involved and another victim and more incidents were reported. It is suspected that there may be several more victims and more incidents may have occurred.

&nbsp;Willard has been a registered sex offender since 2008 for convictions that include aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

The hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. in front of Judge Joe McCarville.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649805813736.png" alt="&nbsp;Willard has been a registered sex offender since 2008 for convictions that include aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Willard has been a registered sex offender since 2008 for convictions that include aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY— The preliminary is set for Tuesday for registered Kansas sex offender on numerous counts of inappropriate contact with children.&nbsp;Wayne Willard, 34, Hutchinson is charged with 10 counts of rape of a child under the age of 14. Each count carries a mandatory 50 years in prison. He’s also charged with Rape by force which carries a possible sentence of 12 to 54 years, and an alternative count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He was arrested by law enforcement back in April of this year.The investigation started with an incident reported to patrol deputies. They got detectives involved and another victim and more incidents were reported. It is suspected that there may be several more victims and more incidents may have occurred.&nbsp;Willard has been a registered sex offender since 2008 for convictions that include aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.The hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. in front of Judge Joe McCarville.

Registered Kan. sex offender set for hearing on rape charges

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged aggravated assault.

Just after 9p.m. on Sept. 24, officers investigated an altercation that had occurred in a parking lot in the 700 block Kansas Avenue, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 A 39-year-old victim reported being threatened by a man she did not know who was holding what appeared to be a handgun. The victim saw an officer on patrol nearby and notified him.

Police arrested Kyle A. Lawley, 32, Atchison, on requested charges of aggravated assault. Police also recovered a pellet gun resembling a handgun at the scene, according to Wilson. 

In 2021, police arrested Lawley on requested charges of domestic battery, violating a protection order and a bond violation, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663959942956.png" alt="Lawley-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Lawley-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged aggravated assault.Just after 9p.m. on Sept. 24, officers investigated an altercation that had occurred in a parking lot in the 700 block Kansas Avenue, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. A 39-year-old victim reported being threatened by a man she did not know who was holding what appeared to be a handgun. The victim saw an officer on patrol nearby and notified him.Police arrested Kyle A. Lawley, 32, Atchison, on requested charges of aggravated assault. Police also recovered a pellet gun resembling a handgun at the scene, according to Wilson. In 2021, police arrested Lawley on requested charges of domestic battery, violating a protection order and a bond violation, according to online jail records.

Kansas man with a pellet gun allegedly threatened woman 

By CLARK KAUFFMAN <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/09/23/two-iowa-care-facility-residents-freeze-to-death-one-worker-faces-a-murder-charge/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

Two Iowa caregivers accused of 
failing to protect elderly Iowans who froze to death on their watch are 
now facing very different consequences.

One of the workers has been criminally charged with second-degree 
murder and faces up to 50 years of imprisonment if convicted, while the 
other is facing no criminal charges and has been allowed to keep her 
nursing license.

The murder charge is highly unusual for a case involving a care-facility worker accused of neglect.

“I can’t say definitively that the state has never charged anyone 
with second-degree murder in these circumstances, but if they have, I am
 not aware of it,” said Matthew S. Sheeley, an assistant state public 
defender who is working the case.

“The two resident deaths were tragic and avoidable,” said Toby 
Edelman, senior policy attorney for the nonprofit Center for Medicare 
Advocacy and a nationally recognized expert in senior care. “Many people
 in each facility are responsible and should be held accountable for 
their obvious failures to keep the residents safe.”

“Every Iowan should be concerned about these tragic deaths,” said 
John Hale, a consultant and advocate for older Iowans. He said while 
Iowans should insist on justice for the families involved, “all too 
often, it’s the direct-care staff members that get blamed for these 
tragedies — and in some cases, that may be warranted if they failed to 
act when they could have.”

He said in many cases, facilities have a lack of sufficient staff, 
provide scant training, or use temporary workers who are not familiar 
with residents or the facility’s procedures. “When those additional 
factors exist, the responsibility for tragedies goes beyond the direct 
care staff on duty – it also goes to supervisory staff, facility 
management, facility owners and corporate directors,” he said.

The first of the two cases involves 95-year-old Elaine Creasey, who 
on Dec. 9, 2021, froze to death outside Keelson Harbour assisted living 
center in Spirit Lake. The second case involves 77-year-old Lynne 
Harriet Stewart, a former state social worker who froze to death on Jan.
 21, 2022, outside Courtyard Estates at Hawthrone Crossing in Bondurant.

According to state records, Creasey wandered from her room at Keelson
 Harbour and exited the building shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2021. 
Because Creasey was known to wander, the staff was instructed to perform
 hourly, visual checks on her, and the exit door was equipped with an 
alarm to alert the staff in case someone left the building.

But, according to state records, the temp-agency worker who was 
assigned to check on Creasey during the night – identified in Board of 
Nursing records as registered nurse Brooke Arndt of Lake Park – 
repeatedly failed to confirm Arndt was in her room and didn’t 
investigate the cause of the door alarm.

With Creasey outside, a short distance from the exit door that had 
locked behind her, the temperature dropped to a wind chill of 14 
degrees.

About 7 a.m. the next day, a worker went to Creasey’s room to check 
on her and noticed she was not in her apartment. A search was initiated 
and within a half-hour, employees found her unresponsive, lying on the 
ground outside the facility’s memory care unit.

The staff summoned an ambulance that transported Creasey to a nearby 
hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The medical examiner 
later reported that his findings of hypothermia due to exposure were 
consistent with Creasey having exited the building about 10 p.m. the 
previous day.

According to state inspectors, Arndt told investigators she had 
performed all of the required visual safety checks on Creasey between 
midnight and 5 a.m., although, she added, she had not been trained on 
how to perform such checks.

She reportedly told the inspectors that when she performed bed 
checks, she would open the door to a resident’s room, leave the light 
off, walk in a few steps and look for a silhouette of the resident in 
bed. She allegedly reported that she thought she had seen Creasey in bed
 each time she checked her room that night.

A review of the door-alarm system at Keelson Harbour allegedly showed
 the alarm had sounded at 10:07 p.m., indicating someone had exited the 
building, and was shut off and reset by the staff nine minutes later.

When interviewed, Arndt allegedly told inspectors that she had 
silenced the door alarm without checking on the residents or searching 
the area to see who might have left the building. Another worker at the 
home had told her not to worry about it, she said.

Arndt also stated she was not sure what the door alarm signified or 
what had triggered it, inspectors later reported, and alleged she had 
not received any training on emergencies and door alarms.

The state inspections department fined Keelson Harbour $10,000 for 
staff-training violations.&nbsp;Arndt was not criminally charged, but the 
Iowa Board of Nursing charged her with committing an act that “causes 
injury” to a patient and with failure to properly assess, evaluate or 
accurately document a patient’s status.

As part of a settlement agreement, the board placed Arndt’s license 
on one year of probation and required her to complete 30 hours of 
additional professional education.

Creasey’s family is now suing both Keelson Harbour and the temp 
agency that employed Arndt, accusing them of negligence and reckless 
disregard for another’s safety. The two companies deny any wrongdoing, 
and a trial is scheduled for Aug. 15, 2023.

The family has alleged Creasey’s hands and knees were covered in 
abrasions when she was found, indicating “that she had been crawling 
around in the cold outside for some time.” They say Creasey “suffered 
immensely, both physically and mentally, before she passed away.”

Video shows worker ‘walking around’ facility

A few weeks after Creasey died, 200 miles east of Spirit Lake, Lynne 
Stewart froze to death outside the Courtyard Estates assisted living 
center in Bondurant.

As with Creasey, Stewart was known to wander and was supposed to have been checked every hour.

State inspection records indicate a worker at the home — identified 
in court records as Catherine Forkpa, 31, of Ankeny — was assigned to 
check on Stewart throughout the night.

The center’s records showed that Stewart exited the building about 
9:40 p.m., triggering an alarm. By that time, a separate alarm attached 
to the door of Stewart’s room had already been tripped. The two alarms 
triggered a series of alerts that appeared on a desktop computer used by
 the care facility’s staff, and on the portable devices carried by each 
of the workers.

But on the night in question, Forkpa was the only person working 
Stewart’s area of the building and surveillance video allegedly showed 
that instead of responding to the alarms, she “walked around” the 
memory-care unit for hours.

The temperature outside, meanwhile, was dropping and eventually 
dipped to 11 degrees below zero, state inspectors later reported.

For three hours of her shift, Forkpa was allegedly off-camera and 
unaccounted for, although police would later say the cameras trained on 
Stewart’s room showed that during her entire shift, Forkpa made no 
effort to enter Stewart’s room and check on her.

Executive director slept through phone alerts

At 5:30 a.m, the video showed Forkpa grabbing some breakfast for 
herself and walking to the dining room where she sat and ate. At 6:10 
a.m., a worker who had been assigned to another area of the building 
looked at the nursing staff’s desktop computer and saw the door-alarm 
alerts for both Stewart’s room and the exit door at the end of Stewart’s
 hallway.

She immediately alerted Forkpa and the two quickly located Stewart 
outside, on the ground, with her body wedged against the exit door. An 
ambulance was summoned and paramedics rushed Stewart to a nearby 
hospital. Stewart, they later reported, was so stiff and cold they 
initially couldn’t record a body temperature. She had “ice freezing on 
her,” the paramedics reported, and there were abrasions on her head and 
hands.

Before the ambulance reached the hospital, Stewart went into cardiac 
arrest. Paramedic Tim Huff and his crew tried to restart her heart, but 
they were unsuccessful. Stewart was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Forkpa, who had worked at Courtyard Estates for seven months, was 
fired and four other employees were given written warnings for their 
failure to respond to the door alarms, according to state records.

During the subsequent state investigation, the facility’s executive 
director told inspectors that when she is at home, she receives 
text-message alerts when doors alarms are triggered at the facility. She
 said that on the night in question, she received a long series of 
alerts triggered by the two door alarms, but she didn’t hear them as she
 slept.

Screenshots of the executive director’s phone indicate she received 
the first alert on her phone at 9:44 p.m., and continued to receive them
 every five minutes throughout the night, inspectors alleged.

The facility’s on-call registered nurse received a similar series of 
alerts on her phone. She allegedly told inspectors she had noticed the 
recurring alerts but failed to respond to them because she was at home 
with her family, and because she went to bed around 9:30 p.m.

The nurse reportedly told inspectors that in the past, she had 
ignored alerts that were specific to Stewart’s room because of 
mechanical defects that caused that particular alarm to trigger 
constantly. Other employees, including Forkpa, reported the same problem
 to inspectors.

The state fined Couryard Estates $10,000 and cited it for having 
failed to give Forkpa the required 8 hours of dementia training during 
her first month on the job, instead giving her only 4.75 hours of 
training. Courtyard Estates acknowledged the problem and later reported 
to the state that the training issue was corrected by having Forkpa 
fired.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664125004269.png" alt="Catherine Forkpa, a former caregiver at Bondurant’s Courtyard Estates at Hawthrone Crossing, is charged with second-degree in the death of a resident at the assisted living center. (Photo illustration by Iowa Capital Dispatch. Photos by Polk County Jail and Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Catherine Forkpa, a former caregiver at Bondurant’s Courtyard Estates at Hawthrone Crossing, is charged with second-degree in the death of a resident at the assisted living center. (Photo illustration by Iowa Capital Dispatch. Photos by Polk County Jail and Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLARK KAUFFMAN <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/09/23/two-iowa-care-facility-residents-freeze-to-death-one-worker-faces-a-murder-charge/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>Two Iowa caregivers accused of 
failing to protect elderly Iowans who froze to death on their watch are 
now facing very different consequences.One of the workers has been criminally charged with second-degree 
murder and faces up to 50 years of imprisonment if convicted, while the 
other is facing no criminal charges and has been allowed to keep her 
nursing license.The murder charge is highly unusual for a case involving a care-facility worker accused of neglect.“I can’t say definitively that the state has never charged anyone 
with second-degree murder in these circumstances, but if they have, I am
 not aware of it,” said Matthew S. Sheeley, an assistant state public 
defender who is working the case.“The two resident deaths were tragic and avoidable,” said Toby 
Edelman, senior policy attorney for the nonprofit Center for Medicare 
Advocacy and a nationally recognized expert in senior care. “Many people
 in each facility are responsible and should be held accountable for 
their obvious failures to keep the residents safe.”“Every Iowan should be concerned about these tragic deaths,” said 
John Hale, a consultant and advocate for older Iowans. He said while 
Iowans should insist on justice for the families involved, “all too 
often, it’s the direct-care staff members that get blamed for these 
tragedies — and in some cases, that may be warranted if they failed to 
act when they could have.”He said in many cases, facilities have a lack of sufficient staff, 
provide scant training, or use temporary workers who are not familiar 
with residents or the facility’s procedures. “When those additional 
factors exist, the responsibility for tragedies goes beyond the direct 
care staff on duty – it also goes to supervisory staff, facility 
management, facility owners and corporate directors,” he said.The first of the two cases involves 95-year-old Elaine Creasey, who 
on Dec. 9, 2021, froze to death outside Keelson Harbour assisted living 
center in Spirit Lake. The second case involves 77-year-old Lynne 
Harriet Stewart, a former state social worker who froze to death on Jan.
 21, 2022, outside Courtyard Estates at Hawthrone Crossing in Bondurant.According to state records, Creasey wandered from her room at Keelson
 Harbour and exited the building shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2021. 
Because Creasey was known to wander, the staff was instructed to perform
 hourly, visual checks on her, and the exit door was equipped with an 
alarm to alert the staff in case someone left the building.But, according to state records, the temp-agency worker who was 
assigned to check on Creasey during the night – identified in Board of 
Nursing records as registered nurse Brooke Arndt of Lake Park – 
repeatedly failed to confirm Arndt was in her room and didn’t 
investigate the cause of the door alarm.With Creasey outside, a short distance from the exit door that had 
locked behind her, the temperature dropped to a wind chill of 14 
degrees.About 7 a.m. the next day, a worker went to Creasey’s room to check 
on her and noticed she was not in her apartment. A search was initiated 
and within a half-hour, employees found her unresponsive, lying on the 
ground outside the facility’s memory care unit.The staff summoned an ambulance that transported Creasey to a nearby 
hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The medical examiner 
later reported that his findings of hypothermia due to exposure were 
consistent with Creasey having exited the building about 10 p.m. the 
previous day.<h2>Nurse: I wasn’t trained on bed checks</h2>According to state inspectors, Arndt told investigators she had 
performed all of the required visual safety checks on Creasey between 
midnight and 5 a.m., although, she added, she had not been trained on 
how to perform such checks.She reportedly told the inspectors that when she performed bed 
checks, she would open the door to a resident’s room, leave the light 
off, walk in a few steps and look for a silhouette of the resident in 
bed. She allegedly reported that she thought she had seen Creasey in bed
 each time she checked her room that night.A review of the door-alarm system at Keelson Harbour allegedly showed
 the alarm had sounded at 10:07 p.m., indicating someone had exited the 
building, and was shut off and reset by the staff nine minutes later.When interviewed, Arndt allegedly told inspectors that she had 
silenced the door alarm without checking on the residents or searching 
the area to see who might have left the building. Another worker at the 
home had told her not to worry about it, she said.Arndt also stated she was not sure what the door alarm signified or 
what had triggered it, inspectors later reported, and alleged she had 
not received any training on emergencies and door alarms.The state inspections department fined Keelson Harbour $10,000 for 
staff-training violations.&nbsp;Arndt was not criminally charged, but the 
Iowa Board of Nursing charged her with committing an act that “causes 
injury” to a patient and with failure to properly assess, evaluate or 
accurately document a patient’s status.As part of a settlement agreement, the board placed Arndt’s license 
on one year of probation and required her to complete 30 hours of 
additional professional education.Creasey’s family is now suing both Keelson Harbour and the temp 
agency that employed Arndt, accusing them of negligence and reckless 
disregard for another’s safety. The two companies deny any wrongdoing, 
and a trial is scheduled for Aug. 15, 2023.The family has alleged Creasey’s hands and knees were covered in 
abrasions when she was found, indicating “that she had been crawling 
around in the cold outside for some time.” They say Creasey “suffered 
immensely, both physically and mentally, before she passed away.”<h2>Video shows worker ‘walking around’ facility</h2>A few weeks after Creasey died, 200 miles east of Spirit Lake, Lynne 
Stewart froze to death outside the Courtyard Estates assisted living 
center in Bondurant.As with Creasey, Stewart was known to wander and was supposed to have been checked every hour.State inspection records indicate a worker at the home — identified 
in court records as Catherine Forkpa, 31, of Ankeny — was assigned to 
check on Stewart throughout the night.The center’s records showed that Stewart exited the building about 
9:40 p.m., triggering an alarm. By that time, a separate alarm attached 
to the door of Stewart’s room had already been tripped. The two alarms 
triggered a series of alerts that appeared on a desktop computer used by
 the care facility’s staff, and on the portable devices carried by each 
of the workers.But on the night in question, Forkpa was the only person working 
Stewart’s area of the building and surveillance video allegedly showed 
that instead of responding to the alarms, she “walked around” the 
memory-care unit for hours.The temperature outside, meanwhile, was dropping and eventually 
dipped to 11 degrees below zero, state inspectors later reported.For three hours of her shift, Forkpa was allegedly off-camera and 
unaccounted for, although police would later say the cameras trained on 
Stewart’s room showed that during her entire shift, Forkpa made no 
effort to enter Stewart’s room and check on her.<h2>Executive director slept through phone alerts</h2>At 5:30 a.m, the video showed Forkpa grabbing some breakfast for 
herself and walking to the dining room where she sat and ate. At 6:10 
a.m., a worker who had been assigned to another area of the building 
looked at the nursing staff’s desktop computer and saw the door-alarm 
alerts for both Stewart’s room and the exit door at the end of Stewart’s
 hallway.She immediately alerted Forkpa and the two quickly located Stewart 
outside, on the ground, with her body wedged against the exit door. An 
ambulance was summoned and paramedics rushed Stewart to a nearby 
hospital. Stewart, they later reported, was so stiff and cold they 
initially couldn’t record a body temperature. She had “ice freezing on 
her,” the paramedics reported, and there were abrasions on her head and 
hands.Before the ambulance reached the hospital, Stewart went into cardiac 
arrest. Paramedic Tim Huff and his crew tried to restart her heart, but 
they were unsuccessful. Stewart was pronounced dead at the hospital.Forkpa, who had worked at Courtyard Estates for seven months, was 
fired and four other employees were given written warnings for their 
failure to respond to the door alarms, according to state records.During the subsequent state investigation, the facility’s executive 
director told inspectors that when she is at home, she receives 
text-message alerts when doors alarms are triggered at the facility. She
 said that on the night in question, she received a long series of 
alerts triggered by the two door alarms, but she didn’t hear them as she
 slept.Screenshots of the executive director’s phone indicate she received 
the first alert on her phone at 9:44 p.m., and continued to receive them
 every five minutes throughout the night, inspectors alleged.The facility’s on-call registered nurse received a similar series of 
alerts on her phone. She allegedly told inspectors she had noticed the 
recurring alerts but failed to respond to them because she was at home 
with her family, and because she went to bed around 9:30 p.m.The nurse reportedly told inspectors that in the past, she had 
ignored alerts that were specific to Stewart’s room because of 
mechanical defects that caused that particular alarm to trigger 
constantly. Other employees, including Forkpa, reported the same problem
 to inspectors.<h2>Caregiver charged with murder&nbsp;</h2>The state fined Couryard Estates $10,000 and cited it for having 
failed to give Forkpa the required 8 hours of dementia training during 
her first month on the job, instead giving her only 4.75 hours of 
training. Courtyard Estates acknowledged the problem and later reported 
to the state that the training issue was corrected by having Forkpa 
fired.Forkpa now faces a charge of second-degree murder by dependent adult 
abuse. If convicted on that charge, she faces a term of imprisonment not
 to exceed 50 years and would have to serve 35 years before becoming 
eligible for parole.Forkpa, who immigrated to the United States from Africa in 2004, said
 she doesn’t believe the criminal charge is warranted. “I know in my 
heart I would never do anything to hurt anyone,” she told the Iowa 
Capital Dispatch.Polk County Attorney John Sarcone declined to comment on the case. A trial is scheduled for Nov. 14.Police reports indicate that even before Stewart exited the building 
that night, there were signs, unnoticed by the staff, she was preparing 
to leave.According to the police, Stewart appeared to have spent some time 
collecting her clothing and other belongings and carrying them down the 
hallway to the exit. She set a bag of personal items next to the door 
and draped some clothes over a nearby railing before walking out into 
the cold night air, with the door locking behind her.She had done this sort of thing in the past, according to state 
inspectors, telling the staff at Courtyard Estates that she was packing 
up her things and “going home.”