By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

For Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, his trip last week with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to the Mexican border near McAllen, Texas, was an eye opener.

Soldan was one of five Kansas sheriffs selected to accompany Marshall to the McAllen, Texas, area of the border for briefings, tours, and meetings with border patrol, Homeland Security, and State of Texas officials. The trip came amid the growing fentanyl crisis that is wreaking havoc in Kansas and across the nation.

“After visiting the southern border with Sheriffs Hayden, Hill, Soldan, Richards, and Morse, it’s clear that what is going on is a human tragedy in every sense of the word. At nighttime, it even looks like a war zone and there is a humanitarian crisis here that is lived out every day,” Marshall said in a statement issued after the trip. “Border patrol officers are simply overwhelmed and this is an unsustainable situation."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Other Kansas sheriffs making the trip were Calvin Hayden of Johnson County, Brian Hill of Shawnee County, Jeff Richards of Franklin County, and Tim Morse of Jackson County.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. While pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients, it also has become a dangerous illegally used drug. Fentanyl that is sold illegally is primarily manufactured in Mexico, the DEA noted.

Fentanyl produces effects similar to other opioid analgesics, such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression, according to the DEA.

Fentanyl also is playing a major role in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. 

According to a January report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, "Fentanyl continues to drive the uptick in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. This is largely attributed to increased availability, accessibility and use of illegally manufactured fentanyl statewide. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often combined with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, or used as a standalone drug. Due to its potency, fentanyl-involved overdoses have a fast onset and may be difficult to reverse."

Marshall recently announced support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s3336/BILLS-117s3336is.pdf">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>. The legislation would permanently give law enforcement the tools to help combat the fentanyl crisis, according to information from the senator's office. The legislation would permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a class into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Fentanyl-related substances’ current Schedule I classification is temporary and set to expire later this year, Marshall's office noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Soldan said that just in the McAllen, Texas, area, U.S. Border Patrol personnel encounter up to 1,000 immigrants a night trying to cross into the United States.

"Most of them are not Mexican citizens. They're mostly from other countries and come through Mexico to get to the U.S.," Soldan said. "The cartels are bring them up and then they'll send a wave of them across and then they'll follow that with people smuggling drugs or whatever because the border patrol is overwhelmed by the number of just immigrants, people trying to better their lives."

Soldan said he was struck by the number of children at the border. One night his group encountered a couple of girls under the age of 10 who had been sent by themselves to the U.S. border.

"They (their families) paid to get them brought here and all they had when they get to the United States is a phone number of someone to call to help them," Soldan said. 

Soldan's group went out Thursday night with the Texas Highway Patrol. The next morning, the group received a briefing about Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's response to the rise in illegal immigration.

The group then when out with the Texas Highway Patrol boat team on the Rio Grande River before visiting one of the check points, Soldan said.

The group then met with one of the ranchers who's land is near a check point. 

"The check point's 70 miles north of the border. It's on the highway going out. It's kind of a last defense against people coming north. That was an interesting stop, because on his ground, he's (rancher) getting over 100 dead people a year. People bring them up close (to the check point) and then tell them to walk across the ranch to get to the north side and then they get picked up for a ride to go north so they don't go through the check point," Soldan said.

"Its like walking on a superfine sandy beach in 115-degree weather," he continued. "They call it the 'Death Valley' for immigrants."

Friday night, Soldan's group went out with the Brooks County Sheriff Office personnel whose county includes the check point and the ranch. Within about 45 minutes, they had detected via camera some people jumping the fence between the ranch and a rest area.

"So they walk for two days through his ranch, jump the fence, come into the rest area, and then they all pile into a car that came down from Houston to pick 'em up," Soldan said.

He said two women from Houston were going to get paid $1,500 to pick up the illegal immigrants. 

"They picked them up. They all piled into the car and the truck and took off north and we stopped them," Soldan said. "Five of them fled over the fence into the brush. We had two immigrants and the two suspects that picked them up."

Soldan said it is a felony in Texas to smuggle people. 

The four remaining people were arrested and Border Patrol officers searched in a field and located one of the female immigrants that fled from the car.

"She was so dehydrated that they ended up carrying her back in the dark," he said.

All of the officers Soldan's group was with treated the immigrants in a humanitarian way.

"Contrary to what you would see on TV or what people want you to believe, they treated them very well," Soldan said.

"If you think about it, if it's that busy in that 35-mile stretch of the border, there's a whole lot of border down there. The governor has activated 10,000 Texas National Guard troops that are working on helping them. And they've got a thousand of their highway patrol, fish and game, Texas Rangers, he's got 1,000 of those guys down there helping just with border security and it's still coming," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415194346.png" alt="U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, center, and select Kansas sheriffs, including Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan (standing behind the senator) receive a briefing from a local farmer who is dealing with the border crisis. Photos courtesy U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, center, and select Kansas sheriffs, including Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan (standing behind the senator) receive a briefing from a local farmer who is dealing with the border crisis. Photos courtesy U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostFor Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, his trip last week with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to the Mexican border near McAllen, Texas, was an eye opener.Soldan was one of five Kansas sheriffs selected to accompany Marshall to the McAllen, Texas, area of the border for briefings, tours, and meetings with border patrol, Homeland Security, and State of Texas officials. The trip came amid the growing fentanyl crisis that is wreaking havoc in Kansas and across the nation.“After visiting the southern border with Sheriffs Hayden, Hill, Soldan, Richards, and Morse, it’s clear that what is going on is a human tragedy in every sense of the word. At nighttime, it even looks like a war zone and there is a humanitarian crisis here that is lived out every day,” Marshall said in a statement issued after the trip. “Border patrol officers are simply overwhelmed and this is an unsustainable situation."&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Kansas sheriffs making the trip were Calvin Hayden of Johnson County, Brian Hill of Shawnee County, Jeff Richards of Franklin County, and Tim Morse of Jackson County.About fentanylAccording to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. While pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients, it also has become a dangerous illegally used drug. Fentanyl that is sold illegally is primarily manufactured in Mexico, the DEA noted.Fentanyl produces effects similar to other opioid analgesics, such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression, according to the DEA.Fentanyl also is playing a major role in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. According to a January report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, "Fentanyl continues to drive the uptick in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. This is largely attributed to increased availability, accessibility and use of illegally manufactured fentanyl statewide. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often combined with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, or used as a standalone drug. Due to its potency, fentanyl-involved overdoses have a fast onset and may be difficult to reverse."Marshall recently announced support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s3336/BILLS-117s3336is.pdf">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>. The legislation would permanently give law enforcement the tools to help combat the fentanyl crisis, according to information from the senator's office. The legislation would permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a class into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Fentanyl-related substances’ current Schedule I classification is temporary and set to expire later this year, Marshall's office noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-JPV-qtKWA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At the borderSoldan said that just in the McAllen, Texas, area, U.S. Border Patrol personnel encounter up to 1,000 immigrants a night trying to cross into the United States."Most of them are not Mexican citizens. They're mostly from other countries and come through Mexico to get to the U.S.," Soldan said. "The cartels are bring them up and then they'll send a wave of them across and then they'll follow that with people smuggling drugs or whatever because the border patrol is overwhelmed by the number of just immigrants, people trying to better their lives."Soldan said he was struck by the number of children at the border. One night his group encountered a couple of girls under the age of 10 who had been sent by themselves to the U.S. border."They (their families) paid to get them brought here and all they had when they get to the United States is a phone number of someone to call to help them," Soldan said. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415159179.png" alt="The group received a briefing about the border situation and what was being done." />
 <figcaption>The group received a briefing about the border situation and what was being done.</figcaption>
 </figure>Soldan's group went out Thursday night with the Texas Highway Patrol. The next morning, the group received a briefing about Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's response to the rise in illegal immigration.The group then when out with the Texas Highway Patrol boat team on the Rio Grande River before visiting one of the check points, Soldan said.The group then met with one of the ranchers who's land is near a check point. "The check point's 70 miles north of the border. It's on the highway going out. It's kind of a last defense against people coming north. That was an interesting stop, because on his ground, he's (rancher) getting over 100 dead people a year. People bring them up close (to the check point) and then tell them to walk across the ranch to get to the north side and then they get picked up for a ride to go north so they don't go through the check point," Soldan said."Its like walking on a superfine sandy beach in 115-degree weather," he continued. "They call it the 'Death Valley' for immigrants."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415106396.png" alt="Marshall and Kansas sheriffs receive a night tour with Brooks County Sheriff's Office personnel." />
 <figcaption>Marshall and Kansas sheriffs receive a night tour with Brooks County Sheriff's Office personnel.</figcaption>
 </figure>Friday night, Soldan's group went out with the Brooks County Sheriff Office personnel whose county includes the check point and the ranch. Within about 45 minutes, they had detected via camera some people jumping the fence between the ranch and a rest area."So they walk for two days through his ranch, jump the fence, come into the rest area, and then they all pile into a car that came down from Houston to pick 'em up," Soldan said.He said two women from Houston were going to get paid $1,500 to pick up the illegal immigrants. "They picked them up. They all piled into the car and the truck and took off north and we stopped them," Soldan said. "Five of them fled over the fence into the brush. We had two immigrants and the two suspects that picked them up."Soldan said it is a felony in Texas to smuggle people. The four remaining people were arrested and Border Patrol officers searched in a field and located one of the female immigrants that fled from the car."She was so dehydrated that they ended up carrying her back in the dark," he said.All of the officers Soldan's group was with treated the immigrants in a humanitarian way."Contrary to what you would see on TV or what people want you to believe, they treated them very well," Soldan said."If you think about it, if it's that busy in that 35-mile stretch of the border, there's a whole lot of border down there. The governor has activated 10,000 Texas National Guard troops that are working on helping them. And they've got a thousand of their highway patrol, fish and game, Texas Rangers, he's got 1,000 of those guys down there helping just with border security and it's still coming," he said.

Kansas sheriff: Trip to border with Senator an eye opener

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating several different scam calls in Cowley County Sheriff's Office over the past few weeks, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti.

 The first was a "Cybersecurity for Amazon" which resulted in a $21,500 loss in Apple gift cards and the scammer getting all the individuals banking information by posing as a government agent attempting to stop scammers. 

The second was a DEA Agent attempting to collect money or they were going to have the individual arrested and prosecuted. The victim in this case was out $15,000.00 dollars, according to Faletti.

The Sheriff reminded the public, "If someone calls you and is requesting you send money via gift cards like Apple, Greendot, or Visa this is not a way to pay a debt to a collector. Also, do not give personal information to anyone who calls you that you don't know. Never send cash to a debt collector who claims its the "safest way to do this"

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating several different scam calls in Cowley County Sheriff's Office over the past few weeks, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti. The first was a "Cybersecurity for Amazon" which resulted in a $21,500 loss in Apple gift cards and the scammer getting all the individuals banking information by posing as a government agent attempting to stop scammers. The second was a DEA Agent attempting to collect money or they were going to have the individual arrested and prosecuted. The victim in this case was out $15,000.00 dollars, according to Faletti.The Sheriff reminded the public, "If someone calls you and is requesting you send money via gift cards like Apple, Greendot, or Visa this is not a way to pay a debt to a collector. Also, do not give personal information to anyone who calls you that you don't know. Never send cash to a debt collector who claims its the "safest way to do this"

Sheriff: 2 victims in Kansas lost over $35,000 to scammers

NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted sex offender who has spent most of his life running from capture.

On Monday, a police officer conducted a traffic stop on West Holmes Street near Brown Avenue in Norton, according to a media release.

&nbsp;The officer learned the driver identified as 69-year-old Dale Farris Session had an outstanding warrant in Wisconsin for failure to register as a sex offender and in U.S. District Court for a probation violation. Officers took Sessions into custody without incident.

According to Norton Police, Sessions was convicted of kidnapping and raping two hitchhikers in 1975.&nbsp; He was sent to a mental hospital until he escaped in 1976. Sessions lived under an alias for 18 years until he was arrested again in 1994. Later that year, he was indicted for kidnapping a juvenile girl with a firearm and spent 13 years in federal prison.

Sessions has been eluding law enforcement for many years including&nbsp; most recently when warrants were issued in 2019. U.S. Marshals were happy to have Sessions in custody.&nbsp; According to Norton Police, this traffic stop for a traffic infraction led to the arrest of a potentially violent and dangerous individual.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653424048036.png" alt="Sessions-photo Norton Co." />
 <figcaption>Sessions-photo Norton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted sex offender who has spent most of his life running from capture.On Monday, a police officer conducted a traffic stop on West Holmes Street near Brown Avenue in Norton, according to a media release.&nbsp;The officer learned the driver identified as 69-year-old Dale Farris Session had an outstanding warrant in Wisconsin for failure to register as a sex offender and in U.S. District Court for a probation violation. Officers took Sessions into custody without incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653423985039.png" alt="Sessions-photo Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Sessions-photo Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>According to Norton Police, Sessions was convicted of kidnapping and raping two hitchhikers in 1975.&nbsp; He was sent to a mental hospital until he escaped in 1976. Sessions lived under an alias for 18 years until he was arrested again in 1994. Later that year, he was indicted for kidnapping a juvenile girl with a firearm and spent 13 years in federal prison.Sessions has been eluding law enforcement for many years including&nbsp; most recently when warrants were issued in 2019. U.S. Marshals were happy to have Sessions in custody.&nbsp; According to Norton Police, this traffic stop for a traffic infraction led to the arrest of a potentially violent and dangerous individual.

Wanted sex offender captured in NW Kansas 

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of a hit and run accident that killed a 9-year-old Kansas girl. Authorities in Douglas County have not reported an arrest or that they identified the driver.

On May 16, the sheriff's office reported they located a vehicle in the Kansas City area they suspect to be the transit van involved in the crash, according to a media release from the Douglas County Sheriff's office.

Brooklyn Brouhard, 9, of Eudora died from injuries suffered in the crash that occurred just after 5p.m. on May 14. She was passenger on a motorcycle driven by her grandfather 54-year-old Barry Larson who was also injured.

Larson was driving a motorcycle northbound on East 1900 Road with Brooklyn as a passenger. As the motorcycle approached the overpass, the transit van moved forward from the stop sign and the top of the eastbound off ramp from K-10 and into the intersection and struck the motorcycle.

Witnesses reported that after the collision, the driver of the white van proceeded down the ramp leaving its black front bumper cover behind and returned to eastbound K-10.&nbsp;

EMS transported Larson and his granddaughter to an area hospital where she died.&nbsp; The Douglas County sheriff's office released no new details over the past week.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit and run accident and asking the public for help to locate a van and driver that fled the scene.

Just after 5p.m. Saturday, police responded to a two-vehicle crash in the 1300 Block of East 1900 Road on the ramp over Kansas 10 Highway between Lawrence and Eudora, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.

According to a preliminary investigation, a 54-year-old man was driving a motorcycle northbound on East 1900 Road with a 9-year-old girl as passenger. As the approached the overpass, an unknown possibly a 2013-19 white Ford Transit van moved forward from the stop sign and the top of the eastbound off ramp from K-10 and into the intersection.

The van struck the motorcycle which overturned. EMS transported the man and the girl to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He had serious but non life threatening injuries. The girl, who was wearing a helmet suffered critical injuries and died Sunday morning, according the sheriff's department.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Douglas Co. Sheriff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652731134056.png" alt="Image Douglas Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Image Douglas Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of a hit and run accident that killed a 9-year-old Kansas girl. Authorities in Douglas County have not reported an arrest or that they identified the driver.On May 16, the sheriff's office reported they located a vehicle in the Kansas City area they suspect to be the transit van involved in the crash, according to a media release from the Douglas County Sheriff's office.Brooklyn Brouhard, 9, of Eudora died from injuries suffered in the crash that occurred just after 5p.m. on May 14. She was passenger on a motorcycle driven by her grandfather 54-year-old Barry Larson who was also injured.Larson was driving a motorcycle northbound on East 1900 Road with Brooklyn as a passenger. As the motorcycle approached the overpass, the transit van moved forward from the stop sign and the top of the eastbound off ramp from K-10 and into the intersection and struck the motorcycle.Witnesses reported that after the collision, the driver of the white van proceeded down the ramp leaving its black front bumper cover behind and returned to eastbound K-10.&nbsp;EMS transported Larson and his granddaughter to an area hospital where she died.&nbsp; The Douglas County sheriff's office released no new details over the past week.-------------DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal hit and run accident and asking the public for help to locate a van and driver that fled the scene.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">EAST 1900 Road Fatality Accident After further investigation, Sheriff&#39;s Office detectives now believe the vehicle that left the scene yesterday was a Ford Transit Connect XL Model 2013-2019, more likely a 2018-19. Anyone with info is asked to call the DGSO, 785-843-0250. <a href="https://t.co/NazzZWkS2O">pic.twitter.com/NazzZWkS2O</a>&mdash; Douglas Co. Sheriff (@DGSOSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/DGSOSheriff/status/1525963802629505037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just after 5p.m. Saturday, police responded to a two-vehicle crash in the 1300 Block of East 1900 Road on the ramp over Kansas 10 Highway between Lawrence and Eudora, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.According to a preliminary investigation, a 54-year-old man was driving a motorcycle northbound on East 1900 Road with a 9-year-old girl as passenger. As the approached the overpass, an unknown possibly a 2013-19 white Ford Transit van moved forward from the stop sign and the top of the eastbound off ramp from K-10 and into the intersection.The van struck the motorcycle which overturned. EMS transported the man and the girl to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He had serious but non life threatening injuries. The girl, who was wearing a helmet suffered critical injuries and died Sunday morning, according the sheriff's department.Witnesses reported that after the collision, the driver of the white van proceeded down the ramp leaving its black front bumper cover behind and returned to eastbound K-10.&nbsp;Anyone with information is asked to contact the Douglas Co. Sheriff.

Hit-and-run crash that killed Kan. girl still under investigation

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 1:30a.m. Monday in the 900 block of Jenny Avenue in Garden City.

Officers observed a Honda CR-V driven by 23-year-old Alex Ortiz had struck the west side of a residence. 

First responders found Ortiz sitting in the vehicle. EMS transported him to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries. The vehicle was removed from inside the residence and towed from the scene. The homeowner was inside the residence at the time of the accident but was not injured.

Through further investigation, it was determined that Ortiz was suspected of driving under the influence. After he was released from the hospital, police arrested Ortiz and booked him into the Finney County Jail on requested charges of DUI, Transportation of an Open Container, Possession of Marijuana and Tampering with Ignition Interlock.

The west side of the residence was assessed for damage and deemed unlivable, with total estimated damage at $30,000.00.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653335314461.png" alt="Ortiz photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Ortiz photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 1:30a.m. Monday in the 900 block of Jenny Avenue in Garden City.Officers observed a Honda CR-V driven by 23-year-old Alex Ortiz had struck the west side of a residence. First responders found Ortiz sitting in the vehicle. EMS transported him to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of injuries. The vehicle was removed from inside the residence and towed from the scene. The homeowner was inside the residence at the time of the accident but was not injured.Through further investigation, it was determined that Ortiz was suspected of driving under the influence. After he was released from the hospital, police arrested Ortiz and booked him into the Finney County Jail on requested charges of DUI, Transportation of an Open Container, Possession of Marijuana and Tampering with Ignition Interlock.The west side of the residence was assessed for damage and deemed unlivable, with total estimated damage at $30,000.00.

Kan. man jailed for alleged DUI crash into home

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and made an arrest.

Just before 10p.m. May 19, sheriff's deputies responded to Lion’s Den, located at 2349 Fair Road in Dickinson County, for a commercial business alarm, according to a social media report.

 Deputies discovered a man had entered the occupied business and removed property without permission, valued at more than $2,000. 

 After seeking assistance from the public through a Facebook post to help identify the suspect, Deputies were led to Washington, Kansas where the Washington County Sheriff’s Office located and detained 43-year-old Kenneth L. Riddle of Washington, Kansas and a vehicle. 

Dickinson County deputies took Riddle into custody and booked him on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Felony Theft. 

On Monday, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 300 West 1st Street in Washington, Kansas and recovered the stolen property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653399806537.png" alt="Riddle-photo Dickinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Riddle-photo Dickinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and made an arrest.Just before 10p.m. May 19, sheriff's deputies responded to Lion’s Den, located at 2349 Fair Road in Dickinson County, for a commercial business alarm, according to a social media report. Deputies discovered a man had entered the occupied business and removed property without permission, valued at more than $2,000. After seeking assistance from the public through a Facebook post to help identify the suspect, Deputies were led to Washington, Kansas where the Washington County Sheriff’s Office located and detained 43-year-old Kenneth L. Riddle of Washington, Kansas and a vehicle. Dickinson County deputies took Riddle into custody and booked him on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Felony Theft. On Monday, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 300 West 1st Street in Washington, Kansas and recovered the stolen property.

Sheriff: Kan. man arrested for burglary from porn store

MONTGOMERY COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;A man has been arrested for murder following an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Coffeyville Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, according to a media release.

On Monday, officer arrested David A. Jackson, 61, of Coffeyville, on requested charges of first-degree murder related to the death of 47-year-old Melvin Simpson Jr. Jackson is also being held on requested charges of criminal possession of a weapon, felony obstruction of justice, and unlawful discharge of a weapon.

Just before 10:30a.m. May 16, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department contacted the Coffeyville Police Department when they received a crime line tip indicating that a dead body could be found at 1301 W. 7th&nbsp;St. in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Officers from the Coffeyville Police Department responded to the area. They began observing the residence until a male subject, David A. Jackson, 61, of Coffeyville, exited the duplex. The officers briefly questioned Jackson, and then entered the residence. Once inside, officers located the body of 47-year-old Melvin Simpson Jr., of Coffeyville. Simpson had been shot, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Jackson was initially arrested and detained on unrelated charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653346693888.png" alt="Jackson-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Jackson-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;A man has been arrested for murder following an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Coffeyville Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, according to a media release.On Monday, officer arrested David A. Jackson, 61, of Coffeyville, on requested charges of first-degree murder related to the death of 47-year-old Melvin Simpson Jr. Jackson is also being held on requested charges of criminal possession of a weapon, felony obstruction of justice, and unlawful discharge of a weapon.Just before 10:30a.m. May 16, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department contacted the Coffeyville Police Department when they received a crime line tip indicating that a dead body could be found at 1301 W. 7th&nbsp;St. in Coffeyville, Kansas.Officers from the Coffeyville Police Department responded to the area. They began observing the residence until a male subject, David A. Jackson, 61, of Coffeyville, exited the duplex. The officers briefly questioned Jackson, and then entered the residence. Once inside, officers located the body of 47-year-old Melvin Simpson Jr., of Coffeyville. Simpson had been shot, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.Jackson was initially arrested and detained on unrelated charges.-------------

KBI: Crime line tip leads to Kansas homicide investigation

GEARY COUNTY&nbsp;-&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday night in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, a female subject called 911 to report that a man was outside her home, waving a handgun and threatening her and another female subject with it. She lived in the 700 block of West 11th&nbsp;St. in Junction City.&nbsp;

Minutes later, several officers from the Junction City Police Department responded to the area. As they arrived, officers spotted a man matching the suspect’s description fleeing the area. They chased the man on foot. During the chase, officers saw that the man had a gun, heard gunshots coming from his direction, and observed him pointing the gun at them.

As one officer caught up to the suspect, between two houses in the 600 block of West 11th&nbsp;St., a confrontation occurred and the officer fired at the man striking him multiple times.

Officers then rendered aid to the man. EMS responded and took over life-saving measures. The man was identified as Carlton Solton, Jr., 36, of Junction City. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

EMS transported Solton to the Geary Community Hospital. He was later flown to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. Solton underwent surgery and is receiving further treatment in the intensive care unit.

Junction City, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Junction City.

A spokesperson for the KBI told 13 NEWS Saturday they were asked by JCPD to investigate an officer-involved shooting around 5:15 p.m. in the 600 Block of West 11th Street.

One Junction City man was shot and taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629836301977.jpeg" alt="Solton from an earlier arrest in Geary Co. He has previous convictions for stalking, domestic battery, criminal threat, assault on a law enforcement officer, criminal possession of a firearm, flee or elude law enforcement and battery of campus or university police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Solton from an earlier arrest in Geary Co. He has previous convictions for stalking, domestic battery, criminal threat, assault on a law enforcement officer, criminal possession of a firearm, flee or elude law enforcement and battery of campus or university police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY&nbsp;-&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday night in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, a female subject called 911 to report that a man was outside her home, waving a handgun and threatening her and another female subject with it. She lived in the 700 block of West 11th&nbsp;St. in Junction City.&nbsp;Minutes later, several officers from the Junction City Police Department responded to the area. As they arrived, officers spotted a man matching the suspect’s description fleeing the area. They chased the man on foot. During the chase, officers saw that the man had a gun, heard gunshots coming from his direction, and observed him pointing the gun at them.As one officer caught up to the suspect, between two houses in the 600 block of West 11th&nbsp;St., a confrontation occurred and the officer fired at the man striking him multiple times.Officers then rendered aid to the man. EMS responded and took over life-saving measures. The man was identified as Carlton Solton, Jr., 36, of Junction City. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.EMS transported Solton to the Geary Community Hospital. He was later flown to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. Solton underwent surgery and is receiving further treatment in the intensive care unit.By WIBW TV<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653229189947.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Junction City, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Junction City.A spokesperson for the KBI told 13 NEWS Saturday they were asked by JCPD to investigate an officer-involved shooting around 5:15 p.m. in the 600 Block of West 11th Street.One Junction City man was shot and taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

KBI investigates officer-involved shooting in Junction City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City officials have approved a new ordinance that clarifies when people may witness or record police officers' actions without being arrested.

The Kansas City Council on Thursday approved the ordinance to settle a federal lawsuit filed by three women who were arrested during racial injustice protests in the city in 2020.

The women were charged with violating city laws involving resisting or interfering with an officer. The lawsuit said those laws were unconstitutionally vague and overly broad, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-19/kansas-city-changes-its-failure-to-obey-laws-after-settling-lawsuit-with-arrested-protesters">reported</a>.

The ordinance approved Thursday says witnessing or recording police officers does not violate city law unless the offender is substantially impeding the officer’s duties.

The women were among more than 200 nonviolent protesters arrested at or near the Country Club Plaza during protests after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.

The settlement did not require the city to pay any monetary damages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590925459037.png" alt="The women were among more than 200 nonviolent protesters arrested at or near the Country Club Plaza during protests after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The women were among more than 200 nonviolent protesters arrested at or near the Country Club Plaza during protests after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City officials have approved a new ordinance that clarifies when people may witness or record police officers' actions without being arrested.The Kansas City Council on Thursday approved the ordinance to settle a federal lawsuit filed by three women who were arrested during racial injustice protests in the city in 2020.The women were charged with violating city laws involving resisting or interfering with an officer. The lawsuit said those laws were unconstitutionally vague and overly broad, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-19/kansas-city-changes-its-failure-to-obey-laws-after-settling-lawsuit-with-arrested-protesters">reported</a>.The ordinance approved Thursday says witnessing or recording police officers does not violate city law unless the offender is substantially impeding the officer’s duties.The women were among more than 200 nonviolent protesters arrested at or near the Country Club Plaza during protests after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.The settlement did not require the city to pay any monetary damages.

KC oks settlement for arrests during George Floyd protests

NEVADA, Mo. - A 38-year-old Lindsborg woman with multiple active warrants in Kansas is in custody in connection to a theft case in Deerfield, Missouri located in southwestern Missouri on U.S. Highway 54 between Nevada, Mo., and Fort Scott, Kan.

On May 4, Vernon County Sheriff’s Deputies took a report of a theft that had occurred from a vehicle at a residence on Walnut Street in Deerfield, Mo., according to a social media report from the sheriff's office.

It was determined that the suspects proceeded to use a stolen debit card at multiple businesses in Vernon County after the theft. 

Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher said that Detectives were able to identify a suspect by reviewing surveillance footage and were able to locate a potential residence where the suspect had been staying. 

On May 5, Detectives conducted a follow-up at a residence on W. Vernon Street in Nevada, Mo., and took 38-year-old Alesha Reavis of Lindsborg, Kansas&nbsp; into custody on multiple active Felony warrants for her arrest from the State of Kansas. Suspected methamphetamine was located as well as some of the stolen property.

On May 10, Deputies were able to locate another suspect involved, identified as 21-year-old Daniel Hankins of Nevada, Mo. and took him into custody.

On May 22, the Courts issued a warrant charging Hankins with Stealing-Firearm, Stealing, and Fraudulent Use of Credit/Debit Device. Hankins is currently being held at the Vernon County Jail on a $10,000 cash only bond. 

Additional charges for Reavis’ involvement are being presented to the Vernon County Prosecutor’s Office for her role in the theft. Reavis is currently being held in the Vernon County Jail on the unrelated active warrants. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653074152963.jpeg" alt="Alesha Reavis. Photo Vernon County, Mo., Sheriff's&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Alesha Reavis. Photo Vernon County, Mo., Sheriff's&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEVADA, Mo. - A 38-year-old Lindsborg woman with multiple active warrants in Kansas is in custody in connection to a theft case in Deerfield, Missouri located in southwestern Missouri on U.S. Highway 54 between Nevada, Mo., and Fort Scott, Kan.On May 4, Vernon County Sheriff’s Deputies took a report of a theft that had occurred from a vehicle at a residence on Walnut Street in Deerfield, Mo., according to a social media report from the sheriff's office.It was determined that the suspects proceeded to use a stolen debit card at multiple businesses in Vernon County after the theft. Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher said that Detectives were able to identify a suspect by reviewing surveillance footage and were able to locate a potential residence where the suspect had been staying. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653074217077.jpeg" alt="Daniel Hankins-photo Vernon Co." />
 <figcaption>Daniel Hankins-photo Vernon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On May 5, Detectives conducted a follow-up at a residence on W. Vernon Street in Nevada, Mo., and took 38-year-old Alesha Reavis of Lindsborg, Kansas&nbsp; into custody on multiple active Felony warrants for her arrest from the State of Kansas. Suspected methamphetamine was located as well as some of the stolen property.On May 10, Deputies were able to locate another suspect involved, identified as 21-year-old Daniel Hankins of Nevada, Mo. and took him into custody.On May 22, the Courts issued a warrant charging Hankins with Stealing-Firearm, Stealing, and Fraudulent Use of Credit/Debit Device. Hankins is currently being held at the Vernon County Jail on a $10,000 cash only bond. Additional charges for Reavis’ involvement are being presented to the Vernon County Prosecutor’s Office for her role in the theft. Reavis is currently being held in the Vernon County Jail on the unrelated active warrants.

Sheriff: Wanted Kan. woman jailed for alleged theft in Missouri 

By ROKESHIA RENNE ASHLEY <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-initial-silence-the-biden-administration-is-making-moves-to-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-from-russian-detention-181821">The Conversation</a>

A week before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1094763019/investigating-the-timing-and-implications-of-brittney-griners-arrest-in-russia">Russian authorities arrested</a> American basketball star <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60701050">Brittney Griner</a> at the Moscow airport. She was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">charged with drug smuggling</a> after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage.

Since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dmJ6BjFCg">her arrest</a> on Feb. 17, Griner has been <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/brittney-griner-to-face-trial-on-drug-charges-in-russia-in-mid-june-140067397962">locked up in a Russian prison</a>.
 It’s a stark contrast to her life as a millionaire athlete playing in 
professional basketball leagues in both the United States and, for the 
last seven years, Russia, where she <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/14/1092677483/brittney-griner-russia-detention-wnba-nba-pay-gap">earns nearly four times</a> as much as her nearly US$282,000 annual WNBA salary.

Speculation on the reason for Griner’s arrest centers on Russian 
President Vladimir Putin’s alleged desire to use the American star as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">a geopolitical pawn</a>
 at a time when U.S.-Russian relations were at their lowest point since 
the Cold War. And then the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred, and 
U.S.-Russian relations have become worse.

Another American, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/paul-whelan-left-behind-statement/index.html">Paul Whelan</a>, who is white, remains in Russian detention after more than two years since his 2020 conviction on espionage charges.

Though U.S.-Russia relations have gotten worse since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">unexpected release</a> of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/trevor-reed-russia/index.html">Trevor Reed</a> on April 28, 2022, was a positive sign for Griner’s supporters.

A former U.S. Marine, Reed was held for the last three years in 
Russia on charges stemming from an alleged fight with a Russian police 
officer. He was exchanged for <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/konstantin-yaroshenko">Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States.

<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html">Such an exchange</a> may be in the works with Griner.

After nearly three months of silence on Griner, the Biden administration on May 3 <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-what-status-change-wrongfully-detained-means-2022-5">declared that Griner</a>
 had been “wrongfully detained” and, as such, the U.S. government would 
work more aggressively to secure her release even while the Russian 
legal case against Griner proceeds.

As a <a href="https://scholars.fiu.edu/display/person-ashley-rokeshia">scholar of Black women’s bodies</a>, one of my primary concerns for Griner is whether her <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">identity as a gay Black woman</a> makes her a good or bad pawn.

Historically and even now, Black women have been represented as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">less than normal</a>
by white feminine standards, making the value <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">of Black gay women</a> even less. And given the lack of media attention focused on the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040048967/missing-black-women-girls-left-out-media-ignored">disappearance of Black girls and women</a> – estimated in the U.S. to total <a href="https://time.com/6159565/missing-black-girls-relisha-rudd/">90,000 in 2021</a> – it appeared that Griner’s case would never achieve the publicity that is emerging now.

Started in May 2022 on change.org, a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/free-brittney-griner-petition-nears-150k-signatures-1707742">petition drive calling</a> for Griner’s release has nearly reached its <a href="https://www.change.org/p/secure-brittney-griner-s-swift-and-safe-return-to-the-u-s">goal of 150,000 signatures</a>.

In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he is working “side by
 side” with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on bringing Griner home.

“We’ve been in touch with the White House, the State Department, 
hostage negotiators, every level of government and also through the 
private sector as well,” Silver said during <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33935229/commissioner-adam-silver-says-nba-working-wnba-brittney-griner-release-russia">an interview on ESPN</a>. “Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia.”

The Griner case <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10825811/U-S-diplomat-spoke-wife-detained-basketball-player-Brittney-Griner.html">gained more attention</a> when <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/richardson-helping-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-detention/story?id=84518602">Bill Richardson</a>, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joined the team of negotiators.

Richardson has worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator and helped secure <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/morninginamerica/trevor-reed-back-in-u-s-after-prisoner-swap-with-russia/">the release of Reed</a>.

At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Griner, 31, stands out in a crowd. In her book, “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court</a>,”
 Griner details her life as a extremely tall Black woman wearing size 17
 men’s shoes and whose outstretched arms measure 88 inches from 
fingertip to fingertip.

She also wrote about the stigma she endured as a gay woman. 

During her time at Baylor University, the private Christian university <a href="https://people.com/sports/wnbas-brittney-griner-on-being-a-gay-athlete-i-felt-like-half-of-me-wasnt-accepted/">banned homosexual behavior</a>.

“It was hard,” Griner <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-apr-18-la-sp-sn-brittney-griner-acknowledges-shes-gay-20130418-story.html">said in an interview</a>. “Just being picked on for being different, just being bigger, my sexuality, everything.”

“I overcame it and got over it,” she continued. “Definitely something
 that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring 
recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”

Since those early days in college, Griner has become a leading <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">advocate for the LGBT community</a>, publicly speaking about gender, body image, self-esteem and sexuality.

It didn’t hurt that Griner is considered one of the world’s best women’s basketball players.

Her resume includes an NCAA championship in 2012 with Baylor, a 2014 
WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, two Olympic gold medals for 
the U.S., three Russia Women’s Basketball Premier League championships 
and four EuroLeague championships.

In her seventh season in Russia, Griner’s last game with the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg was on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittany-griner-arrest-geopolitical-nightmare-perfect-storm">Jan. 29</a>, nearly three weeks before her arrest.

Part of <a href="https://time.com/6158334/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-help/">the initial silence</a> in the Griner case was the reluctance among U.S. State Department officials to publicly discuss it.

The so-called strategic silence by the Biden Administration has also 
played out among Griner’s supporters, including Engelbert, the WNBA 
commissioner, who said <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/absolutely-unimaginable-situation-wnba-commissioner-110030427.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall">they heeded advice</a> to remain low key.

<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee</a>, a Democrat representing Griner’s home state of Texas, was one of the few who wasn’t silent and <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">demanded her release</a>.

“Under the circumstances,” <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">Lee said on March 3,</a>,
 “I’m obviously concerned and believe the actions of the Russian Federal
 Customs officers was unnecessary. And it was, in my perspective, 
targeted and purposeful.”

Meanwhile, at a brief hearing on May 13, 2022, a handcuffed Griner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/brittney-griner-held-russia-another-194807858.html">appeared in Russian court</a>
 wearing an orange hoodie with her face down. Her detention was extended
 another month before a trial. She faces up to 10 years if found guilty.

Her attorney, Alexander Boykov, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-moscow-hearing-live-updates-0ff42a2ceab60724f86f6c7e7f81313a">told the Associated Press</a> that Griner did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions” during the hearing.

In an earlier statement, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said that Griner <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/23/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-met-us-state-department-official-update-good-condition">received a consular visit</a> on March 23 and was in “good condition” and “doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances.”

Nonetheless, there remains uncertainty on how hard the U.S. will 
fight for a high-profile gay Black woman at a time of deteriorating 
relations with Russia.  

In my view, the U.S. government has ignored Black women, LGBTQ people
 and those who exist at the intersections for a long time, but the U.S. 
will acknowledge and address situations where citizens are white, male 
and not public figures. 

The U.S. must now decide how to protect a citizen who is none of the above. 

Prominent sports writer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">Jemele Hill</a>
 suggested at this point in U.S.-Russian relations that it would be 
ironic if Griner’s work in Russia gave her the benefit of the doubt in 
Russian court.

“If Griner has even a modest amount of leverage in Russia,” Hill 
writes, “it’s because she has had an extraordinary career with 
Ekaterinburg.”

Ironic or not, one thing is clear: U.S. public support for her 
release is finally gaining momentum and is symbolized by the WNBA’s 
decision in May 2022 <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/report-wnba-teams-to-honor-brittney-griner-with-floor-decal-this-season-phoenix-mercury-russia-arrest-232132143.html">to place a floor decal</a> of Griner’s initials and No. 42, her uniform number, on the home court sideline of all 12 of its teams.

While this is a good show of support, will the U.S. help Brittney Griner the way its helped Trevor Reed?

Rokeshia Renné Ashley is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Florida International University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646510097872.png" alt="The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury" />
 <figcaption>The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROKESHIA RENNE ASHLEY <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-initial-silence-the-biden-administration-is-making-moves-to-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-from-russian-detention-181821">The Conversation</a>A week before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1094763019/investigating-the-timing-and-implications-of-brittney-griners-arrest-in-russia">Russian authorities arrested</a> American basketball star <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60701050">Brittney Griner</a> at the Moscow airport. She was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">charged with drug smuggling</a> after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage.Since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dmJ6BjFCg">her arrest</a> on Feb. 17, Griner has been <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/brittney-griner-to-face-trial-on-drug-charges-in-russia-in-mid-june-140067397962">locked up in a Russian prison</a>.
 It’s a stark contrast to her life as a millionaire athlete playing in 
professional basketball leagues in both the United States and, for the 
last seven years, Russia, where she <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/14/1092677483/brittney-griner-russia-detention-wnba-nba-pay-gap">earns nearly four times</a> as much as her nearly US$282,000 annual WNBA salary. Speculation on the reason for Griner’s arrest centers on Russian 
President Vladimir Putin’s alleged desire to use the American star as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">a geopolitical pawn</a>
 at a time when U.S.-Russian relations were at their lowest point since 
the Cold War. And then the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred, and 
U.S.-Russian relations have become worse. Another American, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/paul-whelan-left-behind-statement/index.html">Paul Whelan</a>, who is white, remains in Russian detention after more than two years since his 2020 conviction on espionage charges. Though U.S.-Russia relations have gotten worse since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">unexpected release</a> of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/trevor-reed-russia/index.html">Trevor Reed</a> on April 28, 2022, was a positive sign for Griner’s supporters. A former U.S. Marine, Reed was held for the last three years in 
Russia on charges stemming from an alleged fight with a Russian police 
officer. He was exchanged for <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/konstantin-yaroshenko">Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States.<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html">Such an exchange</a> may be in the works with Griner. After nearly three months of silence on Griner, the Biden administration on May 3 <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-what-status-change-wrongfully-detained-means-2022-5">declared that Griner</a>
 had been “wrongfully detained” and, as such, the U.S. government would 
work more aggressively to secure her release even while the Russian 
legal case against Griner proceeds. <h2>Missing Black women</h2>As a <a href="https://scholars.fiu.edu/display/person-ashley-rokeshia">scholar of Black women’s bodies</a>, one of my primary concerns for Griner is whether her <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">identity as a gay Black woman</a> makes her a good or bad pawn. Historically and even now, Black women have been represented as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">less than normal</a>
by white feminine standards, making the value <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">of Black gay women</a> even less. And given the lack of media attention focused on the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040048967/missing-black-women-girls-left-out-media-ignored">disappearance of Black girls and women</a> – estimated in the U.S. to total <a href="https://time.com/6159565/missing-black-girls-relisha-rudd/">90,000 in 2021</a> – it appeared that Griner’s case would never achieve the publicity that is emerging now. Started in May 2022 on change.org, a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/free-brittney-griner-petition-nears-150k-signatures-1707742">petition drive calling</a> for Griner’s release has nearly reached its <a href="https://www.change.org/p/secure-brittney-griner-s-swift-and-safe-return-to-the-u-s">goal of 150,000 signatures</a>. In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he is working “side by
 side” with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on bringing Griner home.“We’ve been in touch with the White House, the State Department, 
hostage negotiators, every level of government and also through the 
private sector as well,” Silver said during <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33935229/commissioner-adam-silver-says-nba-working-wnba-brittney-griner-release-russia">an interview on ESPN</a>. “Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia.”The Griner case <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10825811/U-S-diplomat-spoke-wife-detained-basketball-player-Brittney-Griner.html">gained more attention</a> when <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/richardson-helping-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-detention/story?id=84518602">Bill Richardson</a>, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joined the team of negotiators. Richardson has worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator and helped secure <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/morninginamerica/trevor-reed-back-in-u-s-after-prisoner-swap-with-russia/">the release of Reed</a>.<h2>An international star</h2>At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Griner, 31, stands out in a crowd. In her book, “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court</a>,”
 Griner details her life as a extremely tall Black woman wearing size 17
 men’s shoes and whose outstretched arms measure 88 inches from 
fingertip to fingertip. She also wrote about the stigma she endured as a gay woman. During her time at Baylor University, the private Christian university <a href="https://people.com/sports/wnbas-brittney-griner-on-being-a-gay-athlete-i-felt-like-half-of-me-wasnt-accepted/">banned homosexual behavior</a>. “It was hard,” Griner <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-apr-18-la-sp-sn-brittney-griner-acknowledges-shes-gay-20130418-story.html">said in an interview</a>. “Just being picked on for being different, just being bigger, my sexuality, everything.”“I overcame it and got over it,” she continued. “Definitely something
 that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring 
recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”Since those early days in college, Griner has become a leading <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">advocate for the LGBT community</a>, publicly speaking about gender, body image, self-esteem and sexuality. It didn’t hurt that Griner is considered one of the world’s best women’s basketball players.Her resume includes an NCAA championship in 2012 with Baylor, a 2014 
WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, two Olympic gold medals for 
the U.S., three Russia Women’s Basketball Premier League championships 
and four EuroLeague championships.In her seventh season in Russia, Griner’s last game with the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg was on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittany-griner-arrest-geopolitical-nightmare-perfect-storm">Jan. 29</a>, nearly three weeks before her arrest. <h2>Breaking the silence</h2>Part of <a href="https://time.com/6158334/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-help/">the initial silence</a> in the Griner case was the reluctance among U.S. State Department officials to publicly discuss it. The so-called strategic silence by the Biden Administration has also 
played out among Griner’s supporters, including Engelbert, the WNBA 
commissioner, who said <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/absolutely-unimaginable-situation-wnba-commissioner-110030427.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall">they heeded advice</a> to remain low key. <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee</a>, a Democrat representing Griner’s home state of Texas, was one of the few who wasn’t silent and <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">demanded her release</a>. “Under the circumstances,” <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">Lee said on March 3,</a>,
 “I’m obviously concerned and believe the actions of the Russian Federal
 Customs officers was unnecessary. And it was, in my perspective, 
targeted and purposeful.”Meanwhile, at a brief hearing on May 13, 2022, a handcuffed Griner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/brittney-griner-held-russia-another-194807858.html">appeared in Russian court</a>
 wearing an orange hoodie with her face down. Her detention was extended
 another month before a trial. She faces up to 10 years if found guilty.Her attorney, Alexander Boykov, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-moscow-hearing-live-updates-0ff42a2ceab60724f86f6c7e7f81313a">told the Associated Press</a> that Griner did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions” during the hearing.In an earlier statement, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said that Griner <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/23/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-met-us-state-department-official-update-good-condition">received a consular visit</a> on March 23 and was in “good condition” and “doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances.”Nonetheless, there remains uncertainty on how hard the U.S. will 
fight for a high-profile gay Black woman at a time of deteriorating 
relations with Russia. In my view, the U.S. government has ignored Black women, LGBTQ people
 and those who exist at the intersections for a long time, but the U.S. 
will acknowledge and address situations where citizens are white, male 
and not public figures. The U.S. must now decide how to protect a citizen who is none of the above. Prominent sports writer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">Jemele Hill</a>
 suggested at this point in U.S.-Russian relations that it would be 
ironic if Griner’s work in Russia gave her the benefit of the doubt in 
Russian court. “If Griner has even a modest amount of leverage in Russia,” Hill 
writes, “it’s because she has had an extraordinary career with 
Ekaterinburg.”Ironic or not, one thing is clear: U.S. public support for her 
release is finally gaining momentum and is symbolized by the WNBA’s 
decision in May 2022 <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/report-wnba-teams-to-honor-brittney-griner-with-floor-decal-this-season-phoenix-mercury-russia-arrest-232132143.html">to place a floor decal</a> of Griner’s initials and No. 42, her uniform number, on the home court sideline of all 12 of its teams.While this is a good show of support, will the U.S. help Brittney Griner the way its helped Trevor Reed?Rokeshia Renné Ashley is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Florida International University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181821/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

U.S. making moves to free former Big 12 star from Russian detention

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit and run have made a second arrest.

Just before 3:30 a.m., Sunday, police responded to a report of a motorcycle vs passenger vehicle at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

Officers arrived on scene and found one victim identified as 53-year-old Sam Rice in the roadway. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

On Thursday police arrested 19-year-old Michael Flores-Herrera of Topeka, on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

Police previously arrested 23-year-old&nbsp;Geovany Arellano of Topeka, on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault and&nbsp;Reckless Driving, according to Monasmith.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit and run have made an arrest.

Just before 3:30 a.m., Sunday, responded to a report of a motorcycle vs passenger vehicle at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

Officers arrived on scene and found one victim in the roadway. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Following an investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team, police arrested 23-year-old&nbsp;Geovany Arellano of Topeka, on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault and&nbsp;Reckless Driving, according to Monasmith.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653043670089.png" alt=" Flores-Herrera" />
 <figcaption> Flores-Herrera</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit and run have made a second arrest.Just before 3:30 a.m., Sunday, police responded to a report of a motorcycle vs passenger vehicle at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jerry Monasmith.Officers arrived on scene and found one victim identified as 53-year-old Sam Rice in the roadway. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.On Thursday police arrested 19-year-old Michael Flores-Herrera of Topeka, on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Child Endangerment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652662672522.png" alt="Arellano-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Arellano-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Police previously arrested 23-year-old&nbsp;Geovany Arellano of Topeka, on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault and&nbsp;Reckless Driving, according to Monasmith.&nbsp;&nbsp;-------------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit and run have made an arrest.Just before 3:30 a.m., Sunday, responded to a report of a motorcycle vs passenger vehicle at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jerry Monasmith.Officers arrived on scene and found one victim in the roadway. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.Following an investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team, police arrested 23-year-old&nbsp;Geovany Arellano of Topeka, on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault and&nbsp;Reckless Driving, according to Monasmith.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name.

Second Kan. man jailed after fatal hit-and-run crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

Just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a check welfare call at a local elementary school in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. 

Investigators interviewed a child who had reported being sexually assaulted by a man who is known to her.

Officers located the man identified 30-year-old Christopher Moore. They transported him to the Exploited and Missing Child Unit where detectives interviewed him and<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20026149"> later booked him </a>on requested charges that include two counts of rape involving a child under the age of 13. He is being held on a $500,000 bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652991775024.png" alt="Moore-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Moore-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.Just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a check welfare call at a local elementary school in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. Investigators interviewed a child who had reported being sexually assaulted by a man who is known to her.Officers located the man identified 30-year-old Christopher Moore. They transported him to the Exploited and Missing Child Unit where detectives interviewed him and<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20026149"> later booked him </a>on requested charges that include two counts of rape involving a child under the age of 13. He is being held on a $500,000 bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

Kansas sex crime arrest after child alerted someone at school

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a wanted Kansas man on multiple charges in Missouri.

On Wednesday, police arrested 25-year-old Alexzander S. Green of Atchison, on a Boone County Missouri warrant, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

He is being held without bond for alleged terroristic threat, felony harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police arrested Green on May 4 for failure to appear, according to online jail records. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652971947190.png" alt="Green-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Green-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a wanted Kansas man on multiple charges in Missouri.On Wednesday, police arrested 25-year-old Alexzander S. Green of Atchison, on a Boone County Missouri warrant, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.He is being held without bond for alleged terroristic threat, felony harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.Police arrested Green on May 4 for failure to appear, according to online jail records. Police released no additional details.

Kan. man accused of terroristic threat in Missouri

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the suspects have been arrested and the child recovered by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. 5-year-old Brixton Sisk is safe.

The public's assistance in this matter was outstanding. Several of the tips provided led investigators to the location.&nbsp;

Authorities released no additional details.

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a missing&nbsp; 5-year-old boy.

At 2:40p.m. Thursday, a woman entered a school day care in Rose Hill, Kansas posing as a Social Worker. The woman gained access to 5-year-old Brixton Sisk, exited the school, entered a black Suburban with a paper-30 day tag and departed the location.

The woman was identified as Brixton's mother, Danielle Banzet, who had her parental rights severed by the court. Actions taken by Banzet prior to the abduction, including threats of violence, indicate that Brixton is in imminent danger.

KBI reported just after 6:45p.m. Banzet, a male counterpart and child have switched vehicles to a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, Kansas license 461NWF and may be fleeing the immediate area.&nbsp; The KBI reported just before 9:30p.m. authorities found the Jetta abandoned in rural Cowley County.

Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspect’s vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call the Butler County Sheriff's Office at 316-320-1294 if you have information about Brixton or Banzet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653001318069.png" alt=" Brixton-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption> Brixton-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the suspects have been arrested and the child recovered by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. 5-year-old Brixton Sisk is safe.The public's assistance in this matter was outstanding. Several of the tips provided led investigators to the location.&nbsp;Authorities released no additional details.--------BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a missing&nbsp; 5-year-old boy.At 2:40p.m. Thursday, a woman entered a school day care in Rose Hill, Kansas posing as a Social Worker. The woman gained access to 5-year-old Brixton Sisk, exited the school, entered a black Suburban with a paper-30 day tag and departed the location.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653001181087.png" alt="Danielle Banzet-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Danielle Banzet-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The woman was identified as Brixton's mother, Danielle Banzet, who had her parental rights severed by the court. Actions taken by Banzet prior to the abduction, including threats of violence, indicate that Brixton is in imminent danger.KBI reported just after 6:45p.m. Banzet, a male counterpart and child have switched vehicles to a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, Kansas license 461NWF and may be fleeing the immediate area.&nbsp; The KBI reported just before 9:30p.m. authorities found the Jetta abandoned in rural Cowley County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653005713044.png" alt="photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653001488867.png" alt="Vehicle originally involved -photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Vehicle originally involved -photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Call 911 immediately if you have seen a missing child, suspect, or suspect’s vehicle. If you have other information on a missing child, call the Butler County Sheriff's Office at 316-320-1294 if you have information about Brixton or Banzet.

KBI: Suspects in Amber Alert captured in Okla.; boy found safe

KANSAS CITY (AP) —In the five months that Jennifer Anne Hall was a respiratory therapist at Hedrick Medical Center, the rural Missouri hospital experienced 18 “code blue” incidents — an alarming increase in sudden cardiac arrest events for a hospital that historically averaged one of them a year, according to a police investigator.

Nine of those patients died, and nine recovered. Twenty years later, Hall was charged this month with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-franco-missouri-e1b5b5d9b9341349bc921776c169c1ab">first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in one of the deaths — that of 75-year-old Fern Franco.

Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Warren, who launched an investigation 10 years ago, said Franco died of lethal doses of succinylcholine — a relaxant that paralyzes the respiratory muscles — and the pain reliever morphine. The prosecutor did not disclose a possible motive or say why the investigation took a decade.

Hall's attorney, Matt O’Connor, said she is innocent and that as a respiratory therapist, she didn’t have access to succinylcholine, morphine or any other drugs. He said Hall became a scapegoat for the deaths at Hedrick because of an arson conviction that she was cleared of in 2005.

It’s unclear if Hall will face additional murder charges in the 2002 deaths at Hedrick. Warren declined interview requests, and Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox did not respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

Franco's granddaughter, Aprille Franco hopes investigators get to the bottom of the other deaths.

“Just for the other families’ sake," Franco, 44, of Kansas City, Missouri, said. "They’ve been waiting 20 years for answers. It’s up to my grandma’s case to find answers for them."

Hall, 41, is jailed without bond. O'Connor said he will seek bond so Hall can get chemotherapy treatment for leukemia.

She began working at Hedrick in December 2001. The small hospital is in Chillicothe, a town of 9,100 residents 90 miles northeast of Kansas City.

A probable cause statement from Chillicothe Officer Brian Schmidt said that during Hall’s brief time at Hedrick, sudden cardiac collapse incidents — code blues — “rose alarmingly.”

Hospital officials were alerted to the concerns about Hall but “did everything in the world to cover it up” to avoid bad publicity, said Scott Lindley, the county coroner. No criminal investigation was launched at the time.

A wrongful-death lawsuit naming the hospital and the company that now operates it, St. Luke's Health System, was filed in 2010 on behalf of relatives of five patients who died. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed the lawsuit in 2019, ruling it was filed after the statute of limitations had run out.

St. Luke's Health System noted in a statement that it took over operation of Hedrick more than a year after the deaths.

“We, too, are only interested in the truth, and look forward to a final resolution of the investigation,” the statement read.

Warren, who was elected prosecutor in 2010,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-missouri-eb1f83b41c6749218dc02ecad99a295a">opened the investigation in 2012</a>, saying he didn’t believe that a “thorough investigation has ever been completed.”

The deaths involved people of varying ages and levels of health.

World War II veteran Charles O'Hara, 88, was admitted for evaluation of a high temperatures, vomiting and agitation on Feb. 2, 2002, and died two days later. Retired conservation agent Coval Gann was 82.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652449498878.png" alt="Authorities arrested Hall last week in Kansas-Photo Livingston Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Authorities arrested Hall last week in Kansas-Photo Livingston Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —In the five months that Jennifer Anne Hall was a respiratory therapist at Hedrick Medical Center, the rural Missouri hospital experienced 18 “code blue” incidents — an alarming increase in sudden cardiac arrest events for a hospital that historically averaged one of them a year, according to a police investigator.Nine of those patients died, and nine recovered. Twenty years later, Hall was charged this month with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-franco-missouri-e1b5b5d9b9341349bc921776c169c1ab">first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in one of the deaths — that of 75-year-old Fern Franco.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653007502545.png" alt="Hall is being held in Livingston County" />
 <figcaption>Hall is being held in Livingston County</figcaption>
 </figure>Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Warren, who launched an investigation 10 years ago, said Franco died of lethal doses of succinylcholine — a relaxant that paralyzes the respiratory muscles — and the pain reliever morphine. The prosecutor did not disclose a possible motive or say why the investigation took a decade.Hall's attorney, Matt O’Connor, said she is innocent and that as a respiratory therapist, she didn’t have access to succinylcholine, morphine or any other drugs. He said Hall became a scapegoat for the deaths at Hedrick because of an arson conviction that she was cleared of in 2005.It’s unclear if Hall will face additional murder charges in the 2002 deaths at Hedrick. Warren declined interview requests, and Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox did not respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.Franco's granddaughter, Aprille Franco hopes investigators get to the bottom of the other deaths.“Just for the other families’ sake," Franco, 44, of Kansas City, Missouri, said. "They’ve been waiting 20 years for answers. It’s up to my grandma’s case to find answers for them."Hall, 41, is jailed without bond. O'Connor said he will seek bond so Hall can get chemotherapy treatment for leukemia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652204964045.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>She began working at Hedrick in December 2001. The small hospital is in Chillicothe, a town of 9,100 residents 90 miles northeast of Kansas City.A probable cause statement from Chillicothe Officer Brian Schmidt said that during Hall’s brief time at Hedrick, sudden cardiac collapse incidents — code blues — “rose alarmingly.”Hospital officials were alerted to the concerns about Hall but “did everything in the world to cover it up” to avoid bad publicity, said Scott Lindley, the county coroner. No criminal investigation was launched at the time.A wrongful-death lawsuit naming the hospital and the company that now operates it, St. Luke's Health System, was filed in 2010 on behalf of relatives of five patients who died. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed the lawsuit in 2019, ruling it was filed after the statute of limitations had run out.St. Luke's Health System noted in a statement that it took over operation of Hedrick more than a year after the deaths.“We, too, are only interested in the truth, and look forward to a final resolution of the investigation,” the statement read.Warren, who was elected prosecutor in 2010,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-missouri-eb1f83b41c6749218dc02ecad99a295a">opened the investigation in 2012</a>, saying he didn’t believe that a “thorough investigation has ever been completed.”The deaths involved people of varying ages and levels of health.World War II veteran Charles O'Hara, 88, was admitted for evaluation of a high temperatures, vomiting and agitation on Feb. 2, 2002, and died two days later. Retired conservation agent Coval Gann was 82.But David Harper was just 37. He had been hospitalized with pneumonia, but the lawsuit said he was so much better that he was about to be discharged. He died on March 20, 2002.Similarly, 49-year-old Shirley Eller was a day away from going home after being treated for pneumonia when she collapsed and died on March 9, 2002.The lawsuit said Eller's death was attributed to “natural causes,” the same as the others who died. Eller's sister, Helen Pittman, found that puzzling. Eller smoked but was otherwise healthy and active.“It was a shock,” Pittman said. “It just seems really suspicious. Shirley was doing good.”Franco also had been hospitalized with pneumonia. Hall and another staff member identified only as “J.A.” in the probable cause statement found her dead on May 18, 2002.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652474493585.png" alt="U.S. Marshals arrested Hall in Kansas on May 12 -photo Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Marshals arrested Hall in Kansas on May 12 -photo Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>“Hall’s vicim was a sick, defenseless, elderly woman who was depending on Hall to care for physical ailment within a medical facility,” Schmidt wrote. He said the succinylcholine caused a “ghastly death from suffocation” while Franco was fully conscious.Hall was placed on administrative leave three days after Franco's death and the code blue incidents “returned to historical frequency,” Schmidt's report stated.Hall was fired months later, but not because of the patient deaths. O'Connor said she was fired after hospital officials learned she had been convicted of an arson fire at another small Missouri hospital, Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville, where she previously worked. She was free on appeal when she took the job in Chillicothe and later spent a year behind bars before being acquitted at a retrial.O’Connor called it unfathomable that Hall would again be singled out for a crime she didn’t commit.“To go through it once is terrible,” O’Connor said. “To go through it twice is a recurring nightmare.”He said Hall’s proximity to the patients shouldn’t be unexpected since it’s a small hospital with a small staff.Twenty years after the death of her younger sister, Pittman, 79, wasn't ready to pass judgment, but she does want investigators to keep looking into Shirley Eller's death.“It’s hard for me to believe people can be that mean," Pittman said. "But I guess they can.”