SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon with a history of crime including his involvement in a 2019 fatal crash in a stolen SUV that killed two people was sentenced for murder on Friday

 Judge David Dahl 44-year-old Christopher English to over 70 years in prison: 618 months (51-and-a-half years) for first-degree murder, 216 months (18 years) for criminal discharge of a firearm and eight months on a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon. according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In December, a jury found English guilty of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

In December of 2020, police responded to a shooting call at a residence in the 1800 block of South Main in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, they located 49-year-old Michael Horn with a gunshot wound to his head. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.&nbsp; In July of 2022, police arrested English in connection with Horn's murder.

In 2019, English was on parole and a passenger in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle driven by Mia Collins who led officers on a chase. After about one mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.

The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children.&nbsp; Collins was sentenced to life in prison.

English has previous convictions for drugs and weapons, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; &nbsp;He will be sentenced on Jan. 10, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659213439450.png" alt="English-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>English-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon with a history of crime including his involvement in a 2019 fatal crash in a stolen SUV that killed two people was sentenced for murder on Friday Judge David Dahl 44-year-old Christopher English to over 70 years in prison: 618 months (51-and-a-half years) for first-degree murder, 216 months (18 years) for criminal discharge of a firearm and eight months on a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon. according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In December, a jury found English guilty of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.In December of 2020, police responded to a shooting call at a residence in the 1800 block of South Main in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, they located 49-year-old Michael Horn with a gunshot wound to his head. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.&nbsp; In July of 2022, police arrested English in connection with Horn's murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733836413213.png" alt="Collins photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Collins photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>In 2019, English was on parole and a passenger in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle driven by Mia Collins who led officers on a chase. After about one mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children.&nbsp; Collins was sentenced to life in prison.English has previous convictions for drugs and weapons, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; &nbsp;He will be sentenced on Jan. 10, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas felon returning to prison for murder

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/carolyn-thompson">CAROLYN THOMPSON</a> Associated Press

Schools around the country are reviewing what to do if immigration agents come knocking as President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;prepares to take office after campaigning on a pledge to deport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">millions of people</a>.

In several large cities, school systems are speaking up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-students-education-plyler-d16e72263e68fd7fa12991ae5057897d">rights of immigrant students</a>&nbsp;to attend school, regardless of whether they are in the country legally, and saying they would not assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In California, officials this week offered guidance to schools on state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement.

“I know there is a lot of fear and anxiety around the incoming administration’s anticipated changes to immigration policy,” California Attorney General Bonta said, “and I want to make sure students, their parents, and their teachers and school administrators are prepared.”

The 54-page California guide outlines state and federal protections for students and procedures for responding to law enforcement requests ranging from documents to interviews with students.

Many communities debated how much and whether schools should cooperate with immigration authorities during Trump’s first administration, when school systems including Chicago’s took&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-cfcba9a16bde49af9f2fb7f4f064f504">stands against immigration enforcement</a>.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents have long abided guidance that deters arresting parents or students at schools and other sensitive locations that provide access to things like medical care and food and shelter. But Trump’s re-election and campaign rhetoric on immigration policy have sparked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-mass-deportations-kobach-kansas-1918efac421cf5772a932917757a4642">discussions over whether those policies will stand.</a>

“Although the protected area policy remains in effect ... it may be modified, superseded, or withdrawn at any time with little notice,” the California guidance said. “Because of this, and because exceptions to the policy exist, local educational agencies should have plans in place in the event that a law-enforcement officer requests information or access to a school site or a student for immigration-enforcement purposes.”

A Trump transition spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

An estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/US" target="_blank">733,000 school-aged children</a>&nbsp;are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Educators are acting at least in part to address the concerns of immigrant families and assure them their children are welcome and safe at school.

“We understand that fear and uncertainty, especially concerning the potential deportation of family members, can significantly impact our students’ well-being, their attendance, and their ability to learn,” Des Moines, Iowa Public Schools, where one of four students are English language learners, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/board-gives-statement-on-families-immigration-concerns/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;last month. The district affirmed a 2017 resolution limiting interactions with ICE officials to the superintendent.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsboe.org/content/actions/2024_11s/24-1114-RS2.pdf" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;passed by Chicago Public Schools’ Board of Education in November said schools would not assist ICE in enforcing immigration law. Agents would not be allowed into schools without a criminal warrant, it said. And New York City principals last month were reminded by the district of policies including one against collecting information a student’s immigration status.

Vermont principal Chris Young said his district, whose students include children of migrant workers and farm workers, has a longstanding policy of requiring outside law enforcement to produce a warrant if they want access to students.

“Clearly, students who are worried about their parents being deported or being deported themselves, I think, are high on our list of kids to worry about,” said Young, principal at North County Union High School and president-elect of the Vermont Principals Association.

“We would like them to think that school is obviously a safe place and we are doing everything we can to bolster our policies around who can and can’t be in the buildings,” he said, “and we want to make sure that we’re just keeping the needs of the kids at the forefront.”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/carolyn-thompson">CAROLYN THOMPSON</a> Associated PressSchools around the country are reviewing what to do if immigration agents come knocking as President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;prepares to take office after campaigning on a pledge to deport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">millions of people</a>.In several large cities, school systems are speaking up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-students-education-plyler-d16e72263e68fd7fa12991ae5057897d">rights of immigrant students</a>&nbsp;to attend school, regardless of whether they are in the country legally, and saying they would not assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In California, officials this week offered guidance to schools on state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement.“I know there is a lot of fear and anxiety around the incoming administration’s anticipated changes to immigration policy,” California Attorney General Bonta said, “and I want to make sure students, their parents, and their teachers and school administrators are prepared.”The 54-page California guide outlines state and federal protections for students and procedures for responding to law enforcement requests ranging from documents to interviews with students.Many communities debated how much and whether schools should cooperate with immigration authorities during Trump’s first administration, when school systems including Chicago’s took&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-cfcba9a16bde49af9f2fb7f4f064f504">stands against immigration enforcement</a>.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents have long abided guidance that deters arresting parents or students at schools and other sensitive locations that provide access to things like medical care and food and shelter. But Trump’s re-election and campaign rhetoric on immigration policy have sparked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-mass-deportations-kobach-kansas-1918efac421cf5772a932917757a4642">discussions over whether those policies will stand.</a>“Although the protected area policy remains in effect ... it may be modified, superseded, or withdrawn at any time with little notice,” the California guidance said. “Because of this, and because exceptions to the policy exist, local educational agencies should have plans in place in the event that a law-enforcement officer requests information or access to a school site or a student for immigration-enforcement purposes.”A Trump transition spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.An estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/US" target="_blank">733,000 school-aged children</a>&nbsp;are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute.Educators are acting at least in part to address the concerns of immigrant families and assure them their children are welcome and safe at school.“We understand that fear and uncertainty, especially concerning the potential deportation of family members, can significantly impact our students’ well-being, their attendance, and their ability to learn,” Des Moines, Iowa Public Schools, where one of four students are English language learners, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/board-gives-statement-on-families-immigration-concerns/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;last month. The district affirmed a 2017 resolution limiting interactions with ICE officials to the superintendent.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsboe.org/content/actions/2024_11s/24-1114-RS2.pdf" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;passed by Chicago Public Schools’ Board of Education in November said schools would not assist ICE in enforcing immigration law. Agents would not be allowed into schools without a criminal warrant, it said. And New York City principals last month were reminded by the district of policies including one against collecting information a student’s immigration status.Vermont principal Chris Young said his district, whose students include children of migrant workers and farm workers, has a longstanding policy of requiring outside law enforcement to produce a warrant if they want access to students.“Clearly, students who are worried about their parents being deported or being deported themselves, I think, are high on our list of kids to worry about,” said Young, principal at North County Union High School and president-elect of the Vermont Principals Association.“We would like them to think that school is obviously a safe place and we are doing everything we can to bolster our policies around who can and can’t be in the buildings,” he said, “and we want to make sure that we’re just keeping the needs of the kids at the forefront.”<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Schools are weighing responses to possible immigration raids

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating suspect on multiple allegations after a drug bust at a Kansas home where two young children were living.

Deputies conducting surveillance at a residence at 601 E. Edison in Independence observed activity leading to a vehicle stop conducted by the Independence Police Department, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Ron Wade.

The driver, identified as 59-year-old Bobbie Austin Jr. of Independence, was found in possession of over 7 pounds of suspected marijuana and was taken into custody. Based on evidence gathered, deputies obtained a search warrant for 601 E. Edison. 

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, and Kansas Bureau of Investigations executed the warrant. Several individuals were located at the residence, including 65-year-old Clifford Craft; 34-year-old&nbsp; Dylan Craft; 41-year-old Tabitha Parks and 25-year-old Chase Vankirk all of Independence, Kansas,

Two juveniles, aged six and four, were also present. Law enforcement seized suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and various pills from the residence. 

The juveniles were placed in police protective custody, and all adults were arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections.Recommended Charges:

Bobbie Austin Jr was jailed on requested charges of Distribution of marijuana (450 grams to 30 kilograms).

Clifford Craft was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of depressants and aggravated child endangerment.

Dylan Craft as jailed on requested charges of Possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; aggravated child endangerment.

Tabitha Parks was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Chase Vankirk was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; interference with a law enforcement officer.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be recommended, according to Sheriff Wade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736462567725.png" alt="Dylan Craft -photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Dylan Craft -photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating suspect on multiple allegations after a drug bust at a Kansas home where two young children were living.Deputies conducting surveillance at a residence at 601 E. Edison in Independence observed activity leading to a vehicle stop conducted by the Independence Police Department, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Ron Wade.The driver, identified as 59-year-old Bobbie Austin Jr. of Independence, was found in possession of over 7 pounds of suspected marijuana and was taken into custody. Based on evidence gathered, deputies obtained a search warrant for 601 E. Edison. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736462763377.png" alt="Clifford Craft-photo Montgomery&nbsp; Co." />
 <figcaption>Clifford Craft-photo Montgomery&nbsp; Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, and Kansas Bureau of Investigations executed the warrant. Several individuals were located at the residence, including 65-year-old Clifford Craft; 34-year-old&nbsp; Dylan Craft; 41-year-old Tabitha Parks and 25-year-old Chase Vankirk all of Independence, Kansas,Two juveniles, aged six and four, were also present. Law enforcement seized suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and various pills from the residence. The juveniles were placed in police protective custody, and all adults were arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections.Recommended Charges:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736462593726.png" alt="Parks-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Parks-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Bobbie Austin Jr was jailed on requested charges of Distribution of marijuana (450 grams to 30 kilograms).Clifford Craft was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of depressants and aggravated child endangerment.Dylan Craft as jailed on requested charges of Possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; aggravated child endangerment.Tabitha Parks was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736462652443.png" alt="Vankirk photo Montgomery County" />
 <figcaption>Vankirk photo Montgomery County</figcaption>
 </figure>Chase Vankirk was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; interference with a law enforcement officer.This investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be recommended, according to Sheriff Wade.

Police found drugs and 2 small children at Kansas home

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating what is now determined as a homicide from last summer and have identified the victim.

Just after 10:30a.m. August 13, police responded to a Topeka hospital after in individual arrived with life-threatening injuries, according to department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

It was also reported that medical personnel had responded to a medical call in the 1200 Block of NW Central in Topeka. A man was transported for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

The individual identified as 43-year-old Ocelopanhuetzi Texotic Martinez, 43, of Topeka died September 1.&nbsp; After an autopsy, Topeka Police investigators determined the incident to be a homicide. Police have not reported an arrest in the case.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating what is now determined as a homicide from last summer and have identified the victim.Just after 10:30a.m. August 13, police responded to a Topeka hospital after in individual arrived with life-threatening injuries, according to department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.It was also reported that medical personnel had responded to a medical call in the 1200 Block of NW Central in Topeka. A man was transported for treatment of life-threatening injuries.The individual identified as 43-year-old Ocelopanhuetzi Texotic Martinez, 43, of Topeka died September 1.&nbsp; After an autopsy, Topeka Police investigators determined the incident to be a homicide. Police have not reported an arrest in the case.

Police: Autopsy shows Kan. man's death a homicide

This story is the first in a four-part series on the life and death of Hays, Kansas, resident Karen Schumacher, who died at the hands of her husband in 2022.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/277704cd-f369-48f7-bfca-bdbdba1e8959">If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help here</a>.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

On March 21, 2022, an ambulance was called to 324 W. 24th St. in Hays.&nbsp;

Karen Schumacher was transported to Hays Medical Center, where further examination showed significant trauma to her head, face and chest, upper extremities, lower ribs, and upper abdomen.

Jeremiah, Karen's only son, said she was bruised from head to toe.

Karen died at 9:03 on the morning of March 22. She was 60 years old, a mother, grandmother, sister and friend.&nbsp;

Her husband, Jay Schumacher, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.

The violence that ended in Karen's death in 2022 started decades earlier, according to Karen's friends and family and letters Karen wrote and hid from her husband throughout the family's home.

Karen was caught in a cycle of control, cruelty and violence that was at first hidden and is far too common for other women.

Karen's family and friends have given a voice to Karen's story in hopes of eliciting change in a system that they say betrayed Karen. They hope telling her story will prevent what happened to her from happening to someone else.

Karen and Jay met at a party. Karen became pregnant with her only child, Jeremiah, who was born shortly after they were married. A fairy tale romance, it was not. Cracks in the marriage appeared soon after Jeremiah was born.

Jay was a trucker. He drove at night and would sleep in the basement during the day.

"When I came over, she had to silence me," Sue Rohr, Karen's sister, said. "'Shh. If I wake up Jay, he's going to go off on me.' We had to talk outside or go for a drive or a walk because she said even walking on the floor, he would come up and go off on her. I didn't know what 'go off' meant."

Sue said she did not understand until many years later that “go off on her” meant a beating.

Four months after Jeremiah was born, Karen met her sister, Sue, for a visit, and Karen had a black eye. Sue asked what had happened, and Karen said she was changing Jeremiah’s diaper, and he kicked her.

"A little baby kick wouldn't give her a black eye. Jay was in the kitchen. I went over and said, 'If I ever see any marks on my sister, I will report you to the police,'" Sue said.

"Unbeknownst to me," Sue said, "that was when he started punching her in the head." Sue added Jay would hit Karen beneath the hairline so the bruises wouldn't show.

Sue said this pattern of head trauma would become evident years later, according to a neurologist hired by Karen's family.

Sue saw no more black eyes. Karen kept the violence in the household silent, hidden. Sue thought her sister was safe.

Scarlett Deutscher waited tables with Karen at a local family-owned Mexican restaurant, and the two women struck up a friendship.

Deutscher described the crew at the restaurant as one big family.

“Back then, Karen was lots of fun. She was always laughing. She was always singing, always very positive. You would not know anything was ever wrong with her. She was very happy, always late, but that was Karen, late for everything,”&nbsp;Deutscher giggled.

Deutscher&nbsp;and Karen shared their lives between service and tabs, both of them suffering in similar ways. Deutscher was also struggling with an abusive partner.&nbsp;

"We talked about stuff that had happened in the past that she kind of let on about. I know she didn't share too much because everyone knew Jay,"&nbsp;Deutscher  said. "She didn't want to say too much because of what could happen to her or how he would take it out on her and Jeremiah."

Deutscher said Karen came to work one day with broken glasses that she taped back together.

"If she would wear a shorter shirt, you might see something,"&nbsp;Deutscher said of Karen's bruises. "She always played it off as 'I ran into something.' Or 'I'm a klutz.'"

In a recent interview with the Hays Post,&nbsp;Deutscher said she now regrets not doing more to help her friend then and the years prior to her death.

“We didn’t talk about it too much because I was going through things back then, too,”&nbsp;Deutscher said, “a boyfriend and being through domestic abuse through him. I was working through my own turmoil.”

“Knowing how I was then and how I am now. I was so weak back then,”&nbsp;Deutscher began to cry.

"I got away, and after a good year to year and a half of listening to 'I won't do this anymore. I love you' and sending flowers that were supposed to make everything better."

“I was just a low place in my life, that I just felt like I couldn’t do anything without him,” she said.

Deutscher escaped her abuser. She has been happily married to her current husband for 17 years.

Deutscher said it took courage and support from her family to leave.&nbsp;

"It took just knowing that I could do better. Knowing that I really didn't need this person in my life anymore," she said. "I couldn't let my kids see me like that anymore, knowing he could possibly do more."

As&nbsp;Deutscher struggled to leave her abuser, Jay was closing his grasp tighter around Karen. There were other signs that all was not well in the Schumacher household.

Sue and&nbsp;Deutscher said Jay was in control of the family finances.&nbsp;

"Most Friday nights, she would tell me she was supposed to buy groceries, and 'Jay gave me 20 bucks to buy groceries for the week,'"&nbsp;Deutscher said.

"He controlled everything. He controlled the car she drove. I don't think she even had access to their finances, to be honest," she said.

Karen sometimes worked multiple jobs, including waitressing and cleaning houses. Sue said Jay forced her to give him all of her tips.

Jeremiah recalled his mother cashing in quarters to buy enough gasoline to get to work.

He allowed her money for diapers and pet food. Sue said Jay wouldn't even pay for essentials like bras for Karen.&nbsp;

Jeremiah, who is now 44, described the violence he witnessed in the house. As a young boy, he thought he was the source of his father's anger and violence.

He described his parents' relationship as "hot and cold."

“They were either great, or they weren’t. There was really no in-between,” Jeremiah said. “Dad would come in with a smile on his face, and five minutes later, he would be screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing things, up in people’s faces. No good. We all lived on eggshells.”

Jeremiah said he saw his father hit his mother many times, but no one intervened. He described an incident when the family was living in Victoria. Jeremiah was about 7.

"We had a cop that lived across the street," Jeremiah said. "Any time that dad would get on his big tirades, I would open my window and scream at the top of my lungs, hoping that someone would come help. 

"One night, that cop shows up in his underwear and a white wife beater and beats on the door, and I thought we were finally getting some help. Dad answered the door, and he said, 'Jay, get this over in a hurry. I've got to get some sleep. I've got to work in the morning.'"

“So after that, I figured it was normal,” he said. “I thought that’s what everybody went through.”

The beatings didn't stop with his mother.

"I was terrified of him, always. Absolutely terrified," Jeremiah said of his father. "I got beat profusely because the toilet lid fell down when I went to go to the bathroom as a child when he was sleeping. It was so terrifying that I would take water bottles and milk jugs to pee in my room because I was too afraid to leave."

Jeremiah tried to avoid his father and spent as much time away from the house as possible.

“But if I got in any trouble, if I forgot to do a chore or anything like that, I would be grounded for two weeks or a month or two, or God knows how long,” he said, “And I would have to hide in my room the entire time.”

Jeremiah said the length of the grounding often depended on how long it took the bruises to heal.

“I couldn’t come out. If I did, I had to be church mouse quiet because otherwise, that other shoe could fall at any minute,” he said.

Then there were the words he used as fists.

"I was told that I was worthless, that I should have been aborted, that he would kill me and make one just like me," he said.

“As a little kid, seeing the thing that my dad did, it scared the hell out of me,” he said.

Jeremiah didn't know until much later in his adulthood what Jay was telling his mother—something so awful she chose not to leave her husband in the face of so much violence and cruelty.

Jeremiah moved out of his parents' house when he was 19. He thought the violence for his mother stopped. He had always been told he was the reason his father was violent.

As an adult, Jeremiah begged his mother to leave.

"'He's not going to do anything here,'" Jeremiah said to his mother, pleading with her to come live with him. "'Fuck, Mom, why didn't you leave when I was a kid and get me out of this and get us out of this?'"

“She looked at me and said, ‘Your dad told me if I ever tried to leave, he would gut you like a deer in front of me just so I could watch you die before he killed me.’”

Jeremiah said he thought he knew what his father was capable of, but that statement shook him.

“I was pretty taken aback,” Jeremiah said. “I knew my dad never liked me for the most part unless I was useful for something, but I didn’t know he would kill me or that was a thing he would say to her until that day.”

What mattered was that Karen believed it.

Although Karen tried to leave many times and even separated from Jay in preparation for a divorce,&nbsp;Deutscher said she believed the threat against Jeremiah ultimately kept Karen in the relationship.

“Her worry was money and that he would come after her and Jeremiah,”&nbsp;Deutscher said.

"As moms, we want to protect our children and grandkids, the people who we love the most," said Deutscher, a mother and grandmother herself. "That was a worry. What he might do is why she actually didn't go through with the divorce."

Editor's note: Scarlett Deutscher is an employee of Eagle Media, the parent company of the Hays Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736611103393.png" alt="Graphics and video by Jordan Schaffer" />
 <figcaption>Graphics and video by Jordan Schaffer</figcaption>
 </figure>This story is the first in a four-part series on the life and death of Hays, Kansas, resident Karen Schumacher, who died at the hands of her husband in 2022.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/277704cd-f369-48f7-bfca-bdbdba1e8959">If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help here</a>.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ghy04fyZPaM?si=J9XFFvlGs-Q9iXwq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostOn March 21, 2022, an ambulance was called to 324 W. 24th St. in Hays.&nbsp;Karen Schumacher was transported to Hays Medical Center, where further examination showed significant trauma to her head, face and chest, upper extremities, lower ribs, and upper abdomen.Jeremiah, Karen's only son, said she was bruised from head to toe.Karen died at 9:03 on the morning of March 22. She was 60 years old, a mother, grandmother, sister and friend.&nbsp;Her husband, Jay Schumacher, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.The violence that ended in Karen's death in 2022 started decades earlier, according to Karen's friends and family and letters Karen wrote and hid from her husband throughout the family's home.Karen was caught in a cycle of control, cruelty and violence that was at first hidden and is far too common for other women.Karen's family and friends have given a voice to Karen's story in hopes of eliciting change in a system that they say betrayed Karen. They hope telling her story will prevent what happened to her from happening to someone else.Karen and Jay met at a party. Karen became pregnant with her only child, Jeremiah, who was born shortly after they were married. A fairy tale romance, it was not. Cracks in the marriage appeared soon after Jeremiah was born.Jay was a trucker. He drove at night and would sleep in the basement during the day."When I came over, she had to silence me," Sue Rohr, Karen's sister, said. "'Shh. If I wake up Jay, he's going to go off on me.' We had to talk outside or go for a drive or a walk because she said even walking on the floor, he would come up and go off on her. I didn't know what 'go off' meant."Sue said she did not understand until many years later that “go off on her” meant a beating.Four months after Jeremiah was born, Karen met her sister, Sue, for a visit, and Karen had a black eye. Sue asked what had happened, and Karen said she was changing Jeremiah’s diaper, and he kicked her."A little baby kick wouldn't give her a black eye. Jay was in the kitchen. I went over and said, 'If I ever see any marks on my sister, I will report you to the police,'" Sue said."Unbeknownst to me," Sue said, "that was when he started punching her in the head." Sue added Jay would hit Karen beneath the hairline so the bruises wouldn't show.Sue said this pattern of head trauma would become evident years later, according to a neurologist hired by Karen's family.Sue saw no more black eyes. Karen kept the violence in the household silent, hidden. Sue thought her sister was safe.Scarlett Deutscher waited tables with Karen at a local family-owned Mexican restaurant, and the two women struck up a friendship.Deutscher described the crew at the restaurant as one big family.“Back then, Karen was lots of fun. She was always laughing. She was always singing, always very positive. You would not know anything was ever wrong with her. She was very happy, always late, but that was Karen, late for everything,”&nbsp;Deutscher giggled.Deutscher&nbsp;and Karen shared their lives between service and tabs, both of them suffering in similar ways. Deutscher was also struggling with an abusive partner.&nbsp;"We talked about stuff that had happened in the past that she kind of let on about. I know she didn't share too much because everyone knew Jay,"&nbsp;Deutscher said. "She didn't want to say too much because of what could happen to her or how he would take it out on her and Jeremiah."But there were subtle signs.Deutscher said Karen came to work one day with broken glasses that she taped back together."If she would wear a shorter shirt, you might see something,"&nbsp;Deutscher said of Karen's bruises. "She always played it off as 'I ran into something.' Or 'I'm a klutz.'"In a recent interview with the Hays Post,&nbsp;Deutscher said she now regrets not doing more to help her friend then and the years prior to her death.“We didn’t talk about it too much because I was going through things back then, too,”&nbsp;Deutscher said, “a boyfriend and being through domestic abuse through him. I was working through my own turmoil.”“Knowing how I was then and how I am now. I was so weak back then,”&nbsp;Deutscher began to cry."I got away, and after a good year to year and a half of listening to 'I won't do this anymore. I love you' and sending flowers that were supposed to make everything better."“I was just a low place in my life, that I just felt like I couldn’t do anything without him,” she said.Deutscher escaped her abuser. She has been happily married to her current husband for 17 years.Deutscher said it took courage and support from her family to leave.&nbsp;"It took just knowing that I could do better. Knowing that I really didn't need this person in my life anymore," she said. "I couldn't let my kids see me like that anymore, knowing he could possibly do more."<h2>Beyond the bruises</h2>As&nbsp;Deutscher struggled to leave her abuser, Jay was closing his grasp tighter around Karen. There were other signs that all was not well in the Schumacher household.Sue and&nbsp;Deutscher said Jay was in control of the family finances.&nbsp;"Most Friday nights, she would tell me she was supposed to buy groceries, and 'Jay gave me 20 bucks to buy groceries for the week,'"&nbsp;Deutscher said."He controlled everything. He controlled the car she drove. I don't think she even had access to their finances, to be honest," she said.Karen sometimes worked multiple jobs, including waitressing and cleaning houses. Sue said Jay forced her to give him all of her tips.Jeremiah recalled his mother cashing in quarters to buy enough gasoline to get to work.He allowed her money for diapers and pet food. Sue said Jay wouldn't even pay for essentials like bras for Karen.&nbsp;<h2>'I figured it was normal'</h2>Jeremiah, who is now 44, described the violence he witnessed in the house. As a young boy, he thought he was the source of his father's anger and violence.He described his parents' relationship as "hot and cold."“They were either great, or they weren’t. There was really no in-between,” Jeremiah said. “Dad would come in with a smile on his face, and five minutes later, he would be screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing things, up in people’s faces. No good. We all lived on eggshells.”Jeremiah said he saw his father hit his mother many times, but no one intervened. He described an incident when the family was living in Victoria. Jeremiah was about 7."We had a cop that lived across the street," Jeremiah said. "Any time that dad would get on his big tirades, I would open my window and scream at the top of my lungs, hoping that someone would come help. "One night, that cop shows up in his underwear and a white wife beater and beats on the door, and I thought we were finally getting some help. Dad answered the door, and he said, 'Jay, get this over in a hurry. I've got to get some sleep. I've got to work in the morning.'"“So after that, I figured it was normal,” he said. “I thought that’s what everybody went through.”The beatings didn't stop with his mother."I was terrified of him, always. Absolutely terrified," Jeremiah said of his father. "I got beat profusely because the toilet lid fell down when I went to go to the bathroom as a child when he was sleeping. It was so terrifying that I would take water bottles and milk jugs to pee in my room because I was too afraid to leave."Jeremiah tried to avoid his father and spent as much time away from the house as possible.“But if I got in any trouble, if I forgot to do a chore or anything like that, I would be grounded for two weeks or a month or two, or God knows how long,” he said, “And I would have to hide in my room the entire time.”Jeremiah said the length of the grounding often depended on how long it took the bruises to heal.“I couldn’t come out. If I did, I had to be church mouse quiet because otherwise, that other shoe could fall at any minute,” he said.Then there were the words he used as fists."I was told that I was worthless, that I should have been aborted, that he would kill me and make one just like me," he said.“As a little kid, seeing the thing that my dad did, it scared the hell out of me,” he said.Jeremiah didn't know until much later in his adulthood what Jay was telling his mother—something so awful she chose not to leave her husband in the face of so much violence and cruelty.Jeremiah moved out of his parents' house when he was 19. He thought the violence for his mother stopped. He had always been told he was the reason his father was violent.<h2>Gut him like a deer</h2>As an adult, Jeremiah begged his mother to leave."'He's not going to do anything here,'" Jeremiah said to his mother, pleading with her to come live with him. "'Fuck, Mom, why didn't you leave when I was a kid and get me out of this and get us out of this?'"“She looked at me and said, ‘Your dad told me if I ever tried to leave, he would gut you like a deer in front of me just so I could watch you die before he killed me.’”Jeremiah said he thought he knew what his father was capable of, but that statement shook him.“I was pretty taken aback,” Jeremiah said. “I knew my dad never liked me for the most part unless I was useful for something, but I didn’t know he would kill me or that was a thing he would say to her until that day.”What mattered was that Karen believed it.Although Karen tried to leave many times and even separated from Jay in preparation for a divorce,&nbsp;Deutscher said she believed the threat against Jeremiah ultimately kept Karen in the relationship.“Her worry was money and that he would come after her and Jeremiah,”&nbsp;Deutscher said."As moms, we want to protect our children and grandkids, the people who we love the most," said Deutscher, a mother and grandmother herself. "That was a worry. What he might do is why she actually didn't go through with the divorce."Editor's note: Scarlett Deutscher is an employee of Eagle Media, the parent company of the Hays Post.

A Voice for Karen: Living behind a curtain of silence

JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

Just after 11p.m. January 7, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1999 Buick Park Avenue, near 150th&nbsp;and Q. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

&nbsp; The driver, Jade Taylor Mendoza, 24, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include possession of fentanyl, possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, improper driving on laned roadway, improper turn signal, fail to provide proof of insurance.

The passenger, Joseph Lee Purvis, 43, of Meriden, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony interference with LEO and a Wabaunsee County Warrant for failure to appear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736426784495.png" alt="Purvis" />
 <figcaption>Purvis</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.Just after 11p.m. January 7, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1999 Buick Park Avenue, near 150th&nbsp;and Q. Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736426747498.png" alt="Mendoza-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendoza-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; The driver, Jade Taylor Mendoza, 24, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include possession of fentanyl, possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, improper driving on laned roadway, improper turn signal, fail to provide proof of insurance.The passenger, Joseph Lee Purvis, 43, of Meriden, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony interference with LEO and a Wabaunsee County Warrant for failure to appear.

Kansas couple caught with fentanyl and cocaine

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an armed robbery in Hutchinson have made an arrest.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Just before 5 p.m. December 30, a man entered the Selectel Wireless, 1500 E 11th Avenue in Hutchinson, brandished a dark colored handgun at the store clerk, and then demanded money and various electronic items. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken along with several electronic items.

On Friday Detectives with Hutchinson Police Department arrested 19-year-old Zayne M. Bruce and 17-year-old Kaidyn Emmerich both from Hutchinson. They are being held on requested charges for Armed Robbery and Theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735663974802.jpeg" alt="Photo&nbsp; Hutchinson Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp; Hutchinson Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an armed robbery in Hutchinson have made an arrest.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 5 p.m. December 30, a man entered the Selectel Wireless, 1500 E 11th Avenue in Hutchinson, brandished a dark colored handgun at the store clerk, and then demanded money and various electronic items. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken along with several electronic items.On Friday Detectives with Hutchinson Police Department arrested 19-year-old Zayne M. Bruce and 17-year-old Kaidyn Emmerich both from Hutchinson. They are being held on requested charges for Armed Robbery and Theft.

Police arrest teens for Kan. cell phone store armed robbery

COFFEY COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;A 32-year-old former Burlington High School teacher and wrestling coach was sentenced Thursday in Coffey County District Court related to the sexual abuse of two teens.

At a sentencing hearing on Jan. 9, a judge sentenced Michael Vander Linden, of Burlington, to 36 months in prison and lifetime registration as a registered offender for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Coffey County Attorney Wade Bowie prosecuted the case.

On Oct. 31, 2024, Michael Vander Linden pleaded no contest to the three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The remaining charges were dismissed.

On Feb. 13, 2024, Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents obtained an arrest warrant and took Vander Linden into custody after two former students reported he had engaged in sexual intercourse with them between 2012 and 2013, when both were 15-years-old.

Following the hearing, Vander Linden was remanded to the custody of the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office where he will be transferred to the Kansas Department of Corrections to fulfill his sentence.

COFFEY COUNTY –&nbsp; Law enforcement authorities have arrested a Kansas wrestling coach and teacher for alleged sex crimes.

Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, KBI agents arrested 31-year-old Michael Vander Linden of Burlington, Kansas, at 401 N. 12th St., in Burlington, according to a media release from the KBI. He was arrested on a warrant for eight counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. 

Vander Linden is <a href="https://bhs.usd244ks.org/119401_2">employed as teacher </a>and wrestling and cross country coach at Burlington High School.&nbsp; He also directed the drama club and theater productions, according to the school web site.

In June 2022, the KBI initiated an investigation after the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office took a report from a former student of Vander Linden’s who reported a sexual relationship that took place in 2012 and 2013, when she was a sophomore and Vander Linden was a student teacher. 

The investigation led to a second former student who reported she also had sexual intercourse with Vander Linden on multiple occasions in 2013, when she was 15-years-old.

After the arrest, Vander Linden was booked into the Coffey County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707879216666.png" alt="Vander Linden-photo Coffey County" />
 <figcaption>Vander Linden-photo Coffey County</figcaption>
 </figure>COFFEY COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;A 32-year-old former Burlington High School teacher and wrestling coach was sentenced Thursday in Coffey County District Court related to the sexual abuse of two teens.At a sentencing hearing on Jan. 9, a judge sentenced Michael Vander Linden, of Burlington, to 36 months in prison and lifetime registration as a registered offender for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Coffey County Attorney Wade Bowie prosecuted the case.On Oct. 31, 2024, Michael Vander Linden pleaded no contest to the three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The remaining charges were dismissed.On Feb. 13, 2024, Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents obtained an arrest warrant and took Vander Linden into custody after two former students reported he had engaged in sexual intercourse with them between 2012 and 2013, when both were 15-years-old.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707879437207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Following the hearing, Vander Linden was remanded to the custody of the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office where he will be transferred to the Kansas Department of Corrections to fulfill his sentence.-----------COFFEY COUNTY –&nbsp; Law enforcement authorities have arrested a Kansas wrestling coach and teacher for alleged sex crimes.Just after 7p.m. Wednesday, KBI agents arrested 31-year-old Michael Vander Linden of Burlington, Kansas, at 401 N. 12th St., in Burlington, according to a media release from the KBI. He was arrested on a warrant for eight counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Vander Linden is <a href="https://bhs.usd244ks.org/119401_2">employed as teacher </a>and wrestling and cross country coach at Burlington High School.&nbsp; He also directed the drama club and theater productions, according to the school web site.In June 2022, the KBI initiated an investigation after the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office took a report from a former student of Vander Linden’s who reported a sexual relationship that took place in 2012 and 2013, when she was a sophomore and Vander Linden was a student teacher. The investigation led to a second former student who reported she also had sexual intercourse with Vander Linden on multiple occasions in 2013, when she was 15-years-old.After the arrest, Vander Linden was booked into the Coffey County Jail.

Kan. wrestling coach, teacher sentenced for sex with students

The Department of Corrections is giving few details, but advocates say the removal of the South Central Correctional Center warden occurred after an investigation into how contraband is entering the prison

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The warden and a top supervisor at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking have been replaced amid allegations contraband was entering the prison through a poorly screened gate.

Michele Buckner, a 25-year employee of the Department of Corrections, officially ended her employment with the department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Karen Pojmann wrote in an email to The Independent. Buckner was hired by the department in September 1999 and became warden in May 2019, Pojmann wrote.

Robert Hopping, ranked as a major, left the department’s employment last month, Pojmann wrote. Hopping also worked for the department for more than 20 years.

Michael Shewmaker, warden at Ozark Correctional Center in Webster County, will be acting warden at South Central. He is also a 25-year employee of the department, Pojmann wrote.

The South Central Correctional Center houses 1,601 inmates in minimum, medium and maximum security units.

Neither Buckner nor Hopping could not be reached for comment.

Pojmann cited confidentiality restrictions for declining to give a reason for Buckner and Hopping’s separation from the department. But advocates who use staff, inmate and family sources to obtain information from inside prison walls said Buckner and Hopping were fired last month and walked out of the prison under supervision.&nbsp;

“Everyone that I hear from, including current staff, former staff, and people who live there say that it is overrun with drugs and other contraband, that there is a lack of order, there’s a lack of policy being followed,” said&nbsp;Lori Curry of Missouri Prison Reform, an organization that advocates for people who are incarcerated and their families. “It’s basically the Wild West in there.”

The department has a&nbsp;<a href="https://doc.mo.gov/director/office-director/office-professional-standards" target="_blank">confidential hotline</a>&nbsp;for employee reports of misconduct by staff.

An investigation triggered by a hotline call “uncovered significant amounts of drugs and contraband at the facility,” Curry wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GcyvzpA5/" target="_blank">social media post</a>&nbsp;dated Jan. 3. “Employees were reportedly allowed to come and go freely through the back of the facility without checks or body scans, contributing to the influx of illegal items.”

There are “some inaccuracies in the claims” made in the post by Missouri Prison Reform, Pojmann wrote, but declined to give specifics. Personnel decisions and investigations are confidential, she wrote.

“I’m able to provide neither information about the nature of any employee’s separation from the department nor details about any ongoing investigation,” she wrote.

Buckner is the second warden to be dismissed in the past year because of issues within the facility they oversee. In June, Doris Falkenrath was removed as warden of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/17/warden-of-missouri-prison-replaced-after-investigation-of-inmate-death/">Jefferson City Correctional Center</a>&nbsp;after an investigation of the December 2023 death of Othel Moore.

Three corrections officers are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/28/missouri-corrections-officers-charged-with-murder-in-death-of-inmate-in-restraints/">second degree murder</a>&nbsp;and assault charges in the death of Moore. Charges against two other corrections officers have been dismissed.

No details have been released by the department about Falkenrath’s removal.

An advocate for families with members in prison, Michelle Smith of the Missouri Justice Coalition, said outside investigations and transparency are needed to show the public that the department is serious about controlling contraband.

Removing a warden is an image makeover, not real change, she said.

“Even when they say that there was an investigation, and that’s why she was fired, that’s not transparent,” Smith said. “We don’t know exactly what the results were, what happened.”

Contraband drugs entering Missouri’s prisons is one factor in an increasing number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/04/memorial-service-seeks-answers-on-rapid-increase-in-missouri-inmate-deaths/">deaths among inmates</a>. In response, “the department has created a robust investigations unit as one component of our efforts to keep dangerous contraband out of state prisons,” Pojmann wrote. “Department investigators work with other state agencies and local law enforcement to try to identify the sources of drugs and shut them down before contraband can enter the facilities.”

The department has installed body scanners, requires all personal correspondence be conducted digitally and is working to move legal mail to digital platforms only to reduce the chances for contraband entering the prison, Pojmann wrote. To reduce demand for drugs, the department has expanded treatment.

There have been several arrests of employees of the South Central Correctional Center who smuggle drugs into the prison. In August, former corrections officer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=23TE-CR00416&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0005_CT25#charges" target="_blank">Trishana Barton</a>&nbsp;pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs and smuggling drugs into a prison for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2023/11/22/authorities-arrest-south-central-correctional-center-officer-accused-trafficking-trugs-7-up-cans/" target="_blank">attempting to bring methamphetamine</a>&nbsp;into the Licking facility in soda cans.

Law enforcement authorities for Licking and Texas County told The Independent that they have no jurisdiction within the prison and the department has not provided any information about any recent investigation.

“I hope that information is brought to us, or even another law enforcement agency, and I hope that whoever is bringing it in there or has been bringing it in is brought to justice,” Licking Police Chief Pat Burton said.

Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey said he had not met Shewmaker but offered to assist if asked.

“I’m always willing to work with whoever is in charge over there, and I look forward to meeting them, but I’m kind of waiting, at this point, just being patient to see what changes the state decides to make,” Lindsey said.

Déna Notz, who worked for part of 2022 as a corrections officer in the Licking facility now advocates for prison improvements through an organization called Collectively Changing Corrections. She sees a problem with Buckner’s last day being Tuesday, almost a week after Missouri Prison Reform posted about her removal.

“I believe they let her retire, which is pretty disheartening to hear, but I believe that’s what they did,” Notz said. “They’re so mysterious it’s sickening.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736535286846.png" alt=" Entrance sign at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking (Department of Corrections photo)." />
 <figcaption> Entrance sign at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking (Department of Corrections photo).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Department of Corrections is giving few details, but advocates say the removal of the South Central Correctional Center warden occurred after an investigation into how contraband is entering the prison</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The warden and a top supervisor at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking have been replaced amid allegations contraband was entering the prison through a poorly screened gate.Michele Buckner, a 25-year employee of the Department of Corrections, officially ended her employment with the department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Karen Pojmann wrote in an email to The Independent. Buckner was hired by the department in September 1999 and became warden in May 2019, Pojmann wrote.Robert Hopping, ranked as a major, left the department’s employment last month, Pojmann wrote. Hopping also worked for the department for more than 20 years.Michael Shewmaker, warden at Ozark Correctional Center in Webster County, will be acting warden at South Central. He is also a 25-year employee of the department, Pojmann wrote.The South Central Correctional Center houses 1,601 inmates in minimum, medium and maximum security units.Neither Buckner nor Hopping could not be reached for comment.Pojmann cited confidentiality restrictions for declining to give a reason for Buckner and Hopping’s separation from the department. But advocates who use staff, inmate and family sources to obtain information from inside prison walls said Buckner and Hopping were fired last month and walked out of the prison under supervision.&nbsp;“Everyone that I hear from, including current staff, former staff, and people who live there say that it is overrun with drugs and other contraband, that there is a lack of order, there’s a lack of policy being followed,” said&nbsp;Lori Curry of Missouri Prison Reform, an organization that advocates for people who are incarcerated and their families. “It’s basically the Wild West in there.”The department has a&nbsp;<a href="https://doc.mo.gov/director/office-director/office-professional-standards" target="_blank">confidential hotline</a>&nbsp;for employee reports of misconduct by staff.An investigation triggered by a hotline call “uncovered significant amounts of drugs and contraband at the facility,” Curry wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GcyvzpA5/" target="_blank">social media post</a>&nbsp;dated Jan. 3. “Employees were reportedly allowed to come and go freely through the back of the facility without checks or body scans, contributing to the influx of illegal items.”There are “some inaccuracies in the claims” made in the post by Missouri Prison Reform, Pojmann wrote, but declined to give specifics. Personnel decisions and investigations are confidential, she wrote.“I’m able to provide neither information about the nature of any employee’s separation from the department nor details about any ongoing investigation,” she wrote.Buckner is the second warden to be dismissed in the past year because of issues within the facility they oversee. In June, Doris Falkenrath was removed as warden of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/17/warden-of-missouri-prison-replaced-after-investigation-of-inmate-death/">Jefferson City Correctional Center</a>&nbsp;after an investigation of the December 2023 death of Othel Moore.Three corrections officers are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/28/missouri-corrections-officers-charged-with-murder-in-death-of-inmate-in-restraints/">second degree murder</a>&nbsp;and assault charges in the death of Moore. Charges against two other corrections officers have been dismissed.No details have been released by the department about Falkenrath’s removal.An advocate for families with members in prison, Michelle Smith of the Missouri Justice Coalition, said outside investigations and transparency are needed to show the public that the department is serious about controlling contraband.Removing a warden is an image makeover, not real change, she said.“Even when they say that there was an investigation, and that’s why she was fired, that’s not transparent,” Smith said. “We don’t know exactly what the results were, what happened.”Contraband drugs entering Missouri’s prisons is one factor in an increasing number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/04/memorial-service-seeks-answers-on-rapid-increase-in-missouri-inmate-deaths/">deaths among inmates</a>. In response, “the department has created a robust investigations unit as one component of our efforts to keep dangerous contraband out of state prisons,” Pojmann wrote. “Department investigators work with other state agencies and local law enforcement to try to identify the sources of drugs and shut them down before contraband can enter the facilities.”The department has installed body scanners, requires all personal correspondence be conducted digitally and is working to move legal mail to digital platforms only to reduce the chances for contraband entering the prison, Pojmann wrote. To reduce demand for drugs, the department has expanded treatment.There have been several arrests of employees of the South Central Correctional Center who smuggle drugs into the prison. In August, former corrections officer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=23TE-CR00416&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0005_CT25#charges" target="_blank">Trishana Barton</a>&nbsp;pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs and smuggling drugs into a prison for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2023/11/22/authorities-arrest-south-central-correctional-center-officer-accused-trafficking-trugs-7-up-cans/" target="_blank">attempting to bring methamphetamine</a>&nbsp;into the Licking facility in soda cans.Law enforcement authorities for Licking and Texas County told The Independent that they have no jurisdiction within the prison and the department has not provided any information about any recent investigation.“I hope that information is brought to us, or even another law enforcement agency, and I hope that whoever is bringing it in there or has been bringing it in is brought to justice,” Licking Police Chief Pat Burton said.Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey said he had not met Shewmaker but offered to assist if asked.“I’m always willing to work with whoever is in charge over there, and I look forward to meeting them, but I’m kind of waiting, at this point, just being patient to see what changes the state decides to make,” Lindsey said.Déna Notz, who worked for part of 2022 as a corrections officer in the Licking facility now advocates for prison improvements through an organization called Collectively Changing Corrections. She sees a problem with Buckner’s last day being Tuesday, almost a week after Missouri Prison Reform posted about her removal.“I believe they let her retire, which is pretty disheartening to hear, but I believe that’s what they did,” Notz said. “They’re so mysterious it’s sickening.”

Warden and top supervisor removed from jobs at southwest Mo. prison

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Travis Golden Jr., Domestic battery, Violation of a protection order, arrested 01/10

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736540291395.jpeg" alt="Wesley Peters, Failure to appear, arrested 01/09" />
 <figcaption>Wesley Peters, Failure to appear, arrested 01/09</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736540325187.jpeg" alt="Damon Smith Jr., Battery on LEO, Physical contact with university or campus police on duty, Domestic battery, arrested 01/09" />
 <figcaption>Damon Smith Jr., Battery on LEO, Physical contact with university or campus police on duty, Domestic battery, arrested 01/09</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736541563152.jpeg" alt="David Labombarbe, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of marijuana, Driving under the influence of drug or combination of drugs, arrested 01/09" />
 <figcaption>David Labombarbe, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of marijuana, Driving under the influence of drug or combination of drugs, arrested 01/09</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736541880747.jpeg" alt="Adam Casey, Arrest by LEO, Warrant arrest, arrested 01/09" />
 <figcaption>Adam Casey, Arrest by LEO, Warrant arrest, arrested 01/09</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736542187924.jpeg" alt="Austin Edge, Driving while license cancelled, suspended, or revoked, arrested 01/10" />
 <figcaption>Austin Edge, Driving while license cancelled, suspended, or revoked, arrested 01/10</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.Travis Golden Jr., Domestic battery, Violation of a protection order, arrested 01/10Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Geary County Booking Photos Jan. 10

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon with a history of crime including his involvement in a 2019 fatal crash in a stolen SUV that killed two people will be sentenced for murder on Friday in&nbsp;Judge David Dahl's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In December, a jury found 44-year-old Christopher English guilty of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659213439450.png" alt="English-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>English-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon with a history of crime including his involvement in a 2019 fatal crash in a stolen SUV that killed two people will be sentenced for murder on Friday in&nbsp;Judge David Dahl's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In December, a jury found 44-year-old Christopher English guilty of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.In December of 2020, police responded to a shooting call at a residence in the 1800 block of South Main in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, they located 49-year-old Michael Horn with a gunshot wound to his head. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.&nbsp; In July of 2022, police arrested English in connection with Horn's murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733836413213.png" alt="Collins photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Collins photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>In 2019, English was on parole and a passenger in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle driven by Mia Collins who led officers on a chase. After about one mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children.&nbsp; Collins was sentenced to life in prison.English has previous convictions for drugs and weapons, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; &nbsp;He will be sentenced on Jan. 10, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas felon will learn fate after convicted of murder

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.

The Kenneth Fire started in the late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.

About 400 firefighters remained on scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.

Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/wildfire-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-updates">two devastating wildfires</a>.

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.

To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.

All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 25-mile (40-kilometer) band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-f473e0423125c92c693b9c368ca20532">sense of fear and sadness</a>&nbsp;across the nation’s second-largest city.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-fires-possible-causes-6112488f835e45f53c67d4d03d7a1e4f">No cause</a>&nbsp;has been identified for the largest fires.

Several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-warming-hot-record-2024-disasters-12f899f071fcdbd051ad49a872611e92">Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024</a>. “Hurricane Helene, floods in Spain and the weather whiplash fueling wildfires in California are symptoms of this unfortunate climate gear shift,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said.

The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighborhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.

At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and groceries were burned. So too were the Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/landmarks-destroyed-california-wildfires-135b5d227f3ea1b5b9f877b48e3bbdb9">local landmarks</a>&nbsp;dating to the 1920s.

The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.

AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion.

Firefighters made significant gains Thursday at slowing the spread of the major fires, but containment remained far out of reach.

Crews also knocked down a blaze&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-southern-california-santa-ana-winds-b565a3bd043d6444820f1571b2307bf1">in the Hollywood Hills</a>&nbsp;with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing an evacuation to be lifted Thursday. The fire that sparked late Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.

Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/la-wildfire-flee-evacuation-wind-palisades-f302b4cd347f9a4f4fe707fa0a717aca">blew embers</a>, that ignited hillsides.

Right now, it’s impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than “total devastation and loss,” said Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736474617433.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.The Kenneth Fire started in the late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.About 400 firefighters remained on scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/wildfire-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-updates">two devastating wildfires</a>.The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 25-mile (40-kilometer) band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-f473e0423125c92c693b9c368ca20532">sense of fear and sadness</a>&nbsp;across the nation’s second-largest city.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-fires-possible-causes-6112488f835e45f53c67d4d03d7a1e4f">No cause</a>&nbsp;has been identified for the largest fires.Several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-warming-hot-record-2024-disasters-12f899f071fcdbd051ad49a872611e92">Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024</a>. “Hurricane Helene, floods in Spain and the weather whiplash fueling wildfires in California are symptoms of this unfortunate climate gear shift,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said.The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighborhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and groceries were burned. So too were the Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/landmarks-destroyed-california-wildfires-135b5d227f3ea1b5b9f877b48e3bbdb9">local landmarks</a>&nbsp;dating to the 1920s.The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion.Firefighters made significant gains Thursday at slowing the spread of the major fires, but containment remained far out of reach.Crews also knocked down a blaze&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-southern-california-santa-ana-winds-b565a3bd043d6444820f1571b2307bf1">in the Hollywood Hills</a>&nbsp;with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing an evacuation to be lifted Thursday. The fire that sparked late Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.<h2>The enormity of the destruction emerges</h2>Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/la-wildfire-flee-evacuation-wind-palisades-f302b4cd347f9a4f4fe707fa0a717aca">blew embers</a>, that ignited hillsides.Right now, it’s impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than “total devastation and loss,” said Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.“There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt,” Bruderlin said.Of the 10 deaths so far, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed two were in the Palisades Fire. County officials said the Eaton Fire had killed five. Cadaver dogs and crews are searching through rubble to see if there are more victims.Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.Shari Shaw told&nbsp;<a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/eaton-fire-victim-dies-holding-a-hose-defending-home/">KTLA</a>&nbsp;that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother, Victor Shaw, to evacuate Tuesday night but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. Crews found his body with a garden hose in his hand.On Thursday, recovery crews pulled a body from rubble of what was a beachfront residence in Malibu. A charred washer and dryer were among the few things that remained identifiable in the home along the Pacific Coast Highway.<h2>There have been evacuations, school closures and arrests</h2>At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers), which is roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history.All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, will be closed again Friday because of the heavy smoke wafting over the city and ash raining down in parts.At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. The city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew because of the lawlessness, officials said.National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. They'll be stationed near fire-ravaged areas to protect property.<h2>Actors among those who lost homes</h2>Many celebrities live in areas devastated by fire.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-fires-celebrities-homes-lost-6cdc06b85b737c79739318a853e64642">Among those who lost their homes</a>&nbsp;were Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton.Jamie Lee Curtis pledged $1 million to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the fires that touched all economic levels from the city’s wealthy to its working class.<h2>State seeing a longer fire season</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/fire-devastation-climate-change-santa-ana-winds-a46e2bb6785b1e325f6076fb22c8fcc5">California’s wildfire season</a>&nbsp;is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data.Dry winds, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/santa-ana-winds-california-0b2c68cdc29a7c354238c6ccc09c830c">the notorious Santa Anas</a>, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May.<h2>Some losses feel greater than others</h2>Robert Lara sifted through the remains of his home in Altadena on Thursday with tears in his eyes, hoping to find a safe containing a set of earrings that once belonged to his great-great-grandmother.“All our memories, all our sentimental attachments, things that were gifted from generation to generation to generation are now gone,” he said.___