Winters had two drug convictions in Kansas, according to the Department of Corrections

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man whose conviction was overturned after he served more than two years in prison is suing the federal public defender's office for malpractice.

Aaron Winters, 30, said his public defender urged him to take a guilty plea even though he was innocent.

Winters was arrested in Kansas City in October 2012 and was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Williams was convicted in an earlier case for possessing marijuana without a tax stamp in Kansas and was sentenced to less than a year in prison. Under federal law, that conviction did not disqualify him from owning a firearm.

He served 28 months of his 30 month sentence before federal prosecutors recommended that he be released and his conviction overturned.

In his lawsuit against the Office of the Public Defender, Western District of Missouri, Winters alleges the public defender failed to perform basic legal research and improperly advised him to enter a guilty plea.

The Office of the Public Defender and its attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578155472633.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Winters had two drug convictions in Kansas, according to the Department of CorrectionsKANSAS CITY (AP) — A man whose conviction was overturned after he served more than two years in prison is suing the federal public defender's office for malpractice.Aaron Winters, 30, said his public defender urged him to take a guilty plea even though he was innocent.Winters was arrested in Kansas City in October 2012 and was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm.Williams was convicted in an earlier case for possessing marijuana without a tax stamp in Kansas and was sentenced to less than a year in prison. Under federal law, that conviction did not disqualify him from owning a firearm.He served 28 months of his 30 month sentence before federal prosecutors recommended that he be released and his conviction overturned.In his lawsuit against the Office of the Public Defender, Western District of Missouri, Winters alleges the public defender failed to perform basic legal research and improperly advised him to enter a guilty plea.The Office of the Public Defender and its attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Kan. felon sues federal public defenders office after conviction overturned

Lyon photo Colorado Department of Corrections

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a report of forgery, identity theft, and attempted theft in the 100 block of Bluemont Ave. in Manhattan, according to Riley County Police.

Just after 6:30p.m. October 10, a suspect identified as Maggie Ann Lyon, 25, Englewood, Colorado, attempted to open a business account with AT&amp;T to obtain electronics.&nbsp; In addition to AT&amp;T, Metro Denver Sprinkler LLC is also listed as a victim in the alleged crime, according to Riley County Police Department PIO Hali Rowland.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Thursday, police in Manhattan arrested Lyon on requested charges of "Forgery; Possess with intent to distribute written instrument; 1st conviction, Attempted theft of property or services; Value $1,500 to $25,000; Pocket-Picking and Making false information Identity theft; Defraud to receive benefits &gt; $100,000."&nbsp; &nbsp;She is being held on a$25,000 Bond, according to the Riley County Police Department Report.

Lyon was on parole after three convictions on similar charges at cell phone stores in Mesa and El Paso County Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578102590018.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Lyon photo Colorado Department of CorrectionsRILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a report of forgery, identity theft, and attempted theft in the 100 block of Bluemont Ave. in Manhattan, according to Riley County Police.Just after 6:30p.m. October 10, a suspect identified as Maggie Ann Lyon, 25, Englewood, Colorado, attempted to open a business account with AT&amp;T to obtain electronics.&nbsp; In addition to AT&amp;T, Metro Denver Sprinkler LLC is also listed as a victim in the alleged crime, according to Riley County Police Department PIO Hali Rowland.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Thursday, police in Manhattan arrested Lyon on requested charges of "Forgery; Possess with intent to distribute written instrument; 1st conviction, Attempted theft of property or services; Value $1,500 to $25,000; Pocket-Picking and Making false information Identity theft; Defraud to receive benefits &gt; $100,000."&nbsp; &nbsp;She is being held on a$25,000 Bond, according to the Riley County Police Department Report.Lyon was on parole after three convictions on similar charges at cell phone stores in Mesa and El Paso County Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Colorado felon jailed for alleged forgery at Manhattan cell phone store

Justin Thomas Lee Ingram photo Saline County

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating new child sex allegations from late 2014 to mid 2015 against a Kansas felon with a long history of criminal activity.

The latest incident allegedly involved a 7- to 8-year-old girl at&nbsp; a residence in southeastern Saline County,&nbsp;according to Saline County Sheriff's Lt. Michael Asher.

This incident came to light after a disturbance in the Salina Police Department lobby on December 28. At least eight people, including&nbsp; a suspect identified as 38-year-old Justin Thomas Lee Ingram of Canton were involved in the disturbance.

All those involved in the disturbance were either related or at one time had been in-laws. Three children all under age 14 were in the lobby at the time of the disturbance and were placed into police protective custody, according to Ascher.

Once police learned the alleged incident occurred in southeastern Saline County, they called in Saline County Sheriff's Office personnel and arrested Ingram on requested charges that include rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and battery.

Ingram has a prior conviction for attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child in Dickinson County in 1999, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has six additional convictions for burglary and theft and had been out of prison since 2009.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578062386503.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Justin Thomas Lee Ingram photo Saline CountySALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating new child sex allegations from late 2014 to mid 2015 against a Kansas felon with a long history of criminal activity.The latest incident allegedly involved a 7- to 8-year-old girl at&nbsp; a residence in southeastern Saline County,&nbsp;according to Saline County Sheriff's Lt. Michael Asher.This incident came to light after a disturbance in the Salina Police Department lobby on December 28. At least eight people, including&nbsp; a suspect identified as 38-year-old Justin Thomas Lee Ingram of Canton were involved in the disturbance.All those involved in the disturbance were either related or at one time had been in-laws. Three children all under age 14 were in the lobby at the time of the disturbance and were placed into police protective custody, according to Ascher.Once police learned the alleged incident occurred in southeastern Saline County, they called in Saline County Sheriff's Office personnel and arrested Ingram on requested charges that include rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and battery.Ingram has a prior conviction for attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child in Dickinson County in 1999, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has six additional convictions for burglary and theft and had been out of prison since 2009.

Kansas man with prior child sex conviction accused of rape

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen caught driving a stolen vehicle.

Just after 3a.m. Thursday, police located a reported stolen Nissan Altima in 500 Block of South Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. The vehicle was occupied by 18-year-old Devonte Coleman and a passenger.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle but Coleman accelerated and a short pursuit started. Coleman pulled into a church parking lot in the 6000 Block of East Harry and fled from the vehicle on foot. He left the car running and in drive. The Nissan struck a handicapped sign and an unoccupied police patrol vehicle, according to Davidson.

Officers arriving in the area arrested Coleman after a foot chase.

Investigators learned the Nissan had been reported stolen from Andover.

He is being held on requested charges of possession of stolen property, evade and elude, hit and run, criminal damage to property, obstruct and an outstanding warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1577995623486.png" alt="Coleman photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Coleman photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen caught driving a stolen vehicle.Just after 3a.m. Thursday, police located a reported stolen Nissan Altima in 500 Block of South Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. The vehicle was occupied by 18-year-old Devonte Coleman and a passenger.Police attempted to stop the vehicle but Coleman accelerated and a short pursuit started. Coleman pulled into a church parking lot in the 6000 Block of East Harry and fled from the vehicle on foot. He left the car running and in drive. The Nissan struck a handicapped sign and an unoccupied police patrol vehicle, according to Davidson.Officers arriving in the area arrested Coleman after a foot chase.Investigators learned the Nissan had been reported stolen from Andover.He is being held on requested charges of possession of stolen property, evade and elude, hit and run, criminal damage to property, obstruct and an outstanding warrant.

Kan. teen left stolen car running, in drive when he ran from police

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have two suspects in custody.

Just after 8a.m. Tuesday, police responded to the area of the 2900 block of SW 31st Court in Topeka reference an aggravated robbery that had just occurred, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson.

&nbsp;The victim, who was unharmed, was approached by the suspect who was armed with a knife during the robbery. The suspect was described as a white male approximately six feet tall and skinny wearing a black hoodie and was last seen east bound on foot. A neighborhood search was completed but police did not find the suspect.

Just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday officers on patrol located a vehicle that detectives had issued an attempt to locate in connection with the robbery The red Pontiac G6 was parked in front of 1910 SE Illinois. Officers knocked on the door and could see and hear people inside. The subjects refused to come out, but eventually two individuals came out about one hour later. The officers at the scene were given consent to clear the house. Officers at the scene were unable to clear the attic and saw signs that indicated someone had recently been up there. The home was secured and detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant for the residence. After several hours of attempting to make contact with anyone inside the residence, the warrant was executed. No other individuals were located inside.

Detectives developed information that the persons of interest in the robbery case were at another location. Police arrested&nbsp; 26-year-old Jordan J. Harper and 32-year-old John C. Riley II and booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Burglary and Theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578002744837.png" alt="Police on the scene of the standoff Wednesday photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the standoff Wednesday photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have two suspects in custody.Just after 8a.m. Tuesday, police responded to the area of the 2900 block of SW 31st Court in Topeka reference an aggravated robbery that had just occurred, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson.&nbsp;The victim, who was unharmed, was approached by the suspect who was armed with a knife during the robbery. The suspect was described as a white male approximately six feet tall and skinny wearing a black hoodie and was last seen east bound on foot. A neighborhood search was completed but police did not find the suspect.Just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday officers on patrol located a vehicle that detectives had issued an attempt to locate in connection with the robbery The red Pontiac G6 was parked in front of 1910 SE Illinois. Officers knocked on the door and could see and hear people inside. The subjects refused to come out, but eventually two individuals came out about one hour later. The officers at the scene were given consent to clear the house. Officers at the scene were unable to clear the attic and saw signs that indicated someone had recently been up there. The home was secured and detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant for the residence. After several hours of attempting to make contact with anyone inside the residence, the warrant was executed. No other individuals were located inside.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578002938496.png" alt="Riley had previous convictions for robbery, a fourth DUI, identity theft and was reported as an absconder, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Riley had previous convictions for robbery, a fourth DUI, identity theft and was reported as an absconder, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>Detectives developed information that the persons of interest in the robbery case were at another location. Police arrested&nbsp; 26-year-old Jordan J. Harper and 32-year-old John C. Riley II and booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Burglary and Theft.

Wanted Kan. felon captured after New Year's Day standoff

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A paroled killer and a woman whom he had lived with arrested in the death of the man's girlfriend made their first appearances in court Tuesday, 

According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office,&nbsp;Ahmad Bey, 39, was charged with first-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearem by a felon. Vanessa  Waner, 34, was charged charged with interference with law enforcement in connection with the death of 41-year-old Melinda Sprague.Wa

Just after 2p.m. on Christmas Eve, a co-worker of&nbsp; Sprague contacted police about her not showing up for work, according to Wichita Police Captain Brett Allred. Police made a missing person report.

During the investigation, police located Sprague's missing 2017 Ford Focus behind a business in the 1500 Block of East Harry in Wichita, according to Allred.&nbsp; They also located her body inside the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police developed information that led to the arrest of 39-year-old Ahmad Bey on a requested charge of first-degree murder and a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant and 34-year-old Vanessa&nbsp; Waner on a requested charge of first-degree murder, according to Allred.

Police investigators learned that Sprague and Bey were in a dating relationship, according to Allred.&nbsp; &nbsp;Bey and Waner lived together.

Police found Bey at a residence in Neodesha, Kansas and brought him back to Wichita. Both suspects were booked into the Sedgwick County jail early Friday, according to online jail records. He was released from prison in July after a conviction for second-degree murder in 1999, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577465236625.png" alt="Bey photo Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Bey photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A paroled killer and a woman whom he had lived with arrested in the death of the man's girlfriend made their first appearances in court Tuesday, According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office,&nbsp;Ahmad Bey, 39, was charged with first-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearem by a felon. Vanessa Waner, 34, was charged charged with interference with law enforcement in connection with the death of 41-year-old Melinda Sprague.Wa<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577465562356.png" alt="Waner" />
 <figcaption>Waner</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2p.m. on Christmas Eve, a co-worker of&nbsp; Sprague contacted police about her not showing up for work, according to Wichita Police Captain Brett Allred. Police made a missing person report.During the investigation, police located Sprague's missing 2017 Ford Focus behind a business in the 1500 Block of East Harry in Wichita, according to Allred.&nbsp; They also located her body inside the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.Police developed information that led to the arrest of 39-year-old Ahmad Bey on a requested charge of first-degree murder and a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant and 34-year-old Vanessa&nbsp; Waner on a requested charge of first-degree murder, according to Allred.Police investigators learned that Sprague and Bey were in a dating relationship, according to Allred.&nbsp; &nbsp;Bey and Waner lived together.Police found Bey at a residence in Neodesha, Kansas and brought him back to Wichita. Both suspects were booked into the Sedgwick County jail early Friday, according to online jail records. He was released from prison in July after a conviction for second-degree murder in 1999, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas man charged with killing girlfriend on Christmas Eve

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on a child sex allegations.

On Tuesday, police arrested Daniel Greer, 21, Salina, for allegedly inappropriately touch a 15-year-old girl and refusing to give the girl her cellphone, according to Salina Police Captain Gary Hanus.

The incident allegedly occurred between 6 and 8p.m. December 21, at Greer's residence in the 1000 block of East Ash in Salina.

The girl does not live at the residence, but is an acquaintance of people who do, according to Hanus. An acquaintance of the girl reported the alleged incident to police Tuesday.

Greer was being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Battery and Criminal deprivation of property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1577987982811.jpeg" alt="Greer photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Greer photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on a child sex allegations.On Tuesday, police arrested Daniel Greer, 21, Salina, for allegedly inappropriately touch a 15-year-old girl and refusing to give the girl her cellphone, according to Salina Police Captain Gary Hanus.The incident allegedly occurred between 6 and 8p.m. December 21, at Greer's residence in the 1000 block of East Ash in Salina.The girl does not live at the residence, but is an acquaintance of people who do, according to Hanus. An acquaintance of the girl reported the alleged incident to police Tuesday.Greer was being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Battery and Criminal deprivation of property.

Kansas man accused of indecent liberties with 15-year-old

SAND SPRINGS, Okla. (AP) — A man stole a pickup truck with a sleeping passenger and a goat inside it and drove it all the way from Missouri, through Kansas and into Oklahoma before releasing the terrified victim and animal and eventually being arrested, authorities say.

According to an arrest report, two men in the truck parked outside of an adult video store in Carthage, Missouri, early Wednesday morning. The driver went inside the store and the passenger fell asleep. When the passenger awoke, a masked man was driving the truck and pointing a gun at his head.

The carjacking suspect, 40-year-old Brandon Kirby, drove from Missouri through Kansas. During the 130-mile ordeal, Kirby took methamphetamine, pistol-whipped the victim and continually threatened him, according to the arrest report. He was eventually arrested in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, after he let the passenger and the goat out of the truck and the victim called 911, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

Kirby, who is from Mannford, west of Tulsa, was jailed on suspicion of kidnapping, pointing a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jail records don't list an attorney who might speak on his behalf.

The Sand Springs Police Department said on Facebook: “OK 2020, it only took you 4.5 hours to get weird. Let's slow down on the carjacking-goatnapping calls for the remainder of the year.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1577984797896.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kirby photo Creek County SherffSAND SPRINGS, Okla. (AP) — A man stole a pickup truck with a sleeping passenger and a goat inside it and drove it all the way from Missouri, through Kansas and into Oklahoma before releasing the terrified victim and animal and eventually being arrested, authorities say.According to an arrest report, two men in the truck parked outside of an adult video store in Carthage, Missouri, early Wednesday morning. The driver went inside the store and the passenger fell asleep. When the passenger awoke, a masked man was driving the truck and pointing a gun at his head.The carjacking suspect, 40-year-old Brandon Kirby, drove from Missouri through Kansas. During the 130-mile ordeal, Kirby took methamphetamine, pistol-whipped the victim and continually threatened him, according to the arrest report. He was eventually arrested in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, after he let the passenger and the goat out of the truck and the victim called 911, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.Kirby, who is from Mannford, west of Tulsa, was jailed on suspicion of kidnapping, pointing a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jail records don't list an attorney who might speak on his behalf.The Sand Springs Police Department said on Facebook: “OK 2020, it only took you 4.5 hours to get weird. Let's slow down on the carjacking-goatnapping calls for the remainder of the year.”

Police: Man carjacks truck with sleeping man, goat inside

HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death and have made an arrest.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Harvey County Communications received a call via 911 reporting a disturbance in the 300 block of SE 4, according to a media release from police.

A woman advised she was involved in a physical disturbance with a man. A subsequent call from a different witness also advised there was another man down on the ground who was bleeding.

Officers arrived on scene and found the victim later idenfified by family&nbsp; as 53-year-old Robert Flores down on the sidewalk. The officers attempted live saving measures but Flores was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

Witnesses in the area gave a description of the suspect who was quickly apprehended on foot in the area.&nbsp; 

Andrew Martinez, 35, is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder and domestic battery, according to online jail records.

Authorities say a fight started inside the house, then continued outside where Flores was injured.

A spokesperson for the City of Newton says Flores and Martinez both lived at the home where the fight began.

Martinez has previous convictions for aggravated criminal threat and for drug distribution, according to the Kansas Department of corrections.

Friends of Flores have established a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bobby-flores-spider-funeral-cost-and-fees">GoFundMe page&nbsp;</a>

According to Flores' niece&nbsp;Debra Lee Flores-McCauley, he had allowed Martinez to move into the family home during his time of need, as she described on facebook., "After Martinez had an altercation with a girlfriend late Tuesday, Flores woke up and asked Andrew to leave his home which resulted in his death.

He died protecting his home and family. This is an extremely painful time for our entire family. We are all struggling. This is the most unimaginable thing and we are processing this one step at a time. We would like to thank the police and medical staff who were on the scene."

 A woman advised she was involved in a physical disturbance with a man. A subsequent call from a different witness also advised there was another man down on the ground who was bleeding. 

Officers arrived on scene and found the victim down on the sidewalk. The officers attempted live saving measures but the he was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

Witnesses in the area gave a description of the suspect who was quickly apprehended on foot in the area. 

Police have not released the name of the victim pending notification of family members.&nbsp;

Police believe the suspect in custody acted alone and there is no further threat to the community from this incident.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1577930465639.png" alt="Martinez photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Martinez photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death and have made an arrest.Just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Harvey County Communications received a call via 911 reporting a disturbance in the 300 block of SE 4, according to a media release from police.A woman advised she was involved in a physical disturbance with a man. A subsequent call from a different witness also advised there was another man down on the ground who was bleeding.Officers arrived on scene and found the victim later idenfified by family&nbsp; as 53-year-old Robert Flores down on the sidewalk. The officers attempted live saving measures but Flores was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.Witnesses in the area gave a description of the suspect who was quickly apprehended on foot in the area.&nbsp; Andrew Martinez, 35, is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder and domestic battery, according to online jail records.Authorities say a fight started inside the house, then continued outside where Flores was injured.A spokesperson for the City of Newton says Flores and Martinez both lived at the home where the fight began.Martinez has previous convictions for aggravated criminal threat and for drug distribution, according to the Kansas Department of corrections.Friends of Flores have established a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bobby-flores-spider-funeral-cost-and-fees">GoFundMe page&nbsp;</a>According to Flores' niece&nbsp;Debra Lee Flores-McCauley, he had allowed Martinez to move into the family home during his time of need, as she described on facebook., "After Martinez had an altercation with a girlfriend late Tuesday, Flores woke up and asked Andrew to leave his home which resulted in his death.He died protecting his home and family. This is an extremely painful time for our entire family. We are all struggling. This is the most unimaginable thing and we are processing this one step at a time. We would like to thank the police and medical staff who were on the scene."-----------HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death and have made an arrest.Just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Harvey County Communications received a call via 911 reporting a disturbance in the 300 block of SE 4, according to a media release from police. A woman advised she was involved in a physical disturbance with a man. A subsequent call from a different witness also advised there was another man down on the ground who was bleeding. Officers arrived on scene and found the victim down on the sidewalk. The officers attempted live saving measures but the he was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.Witnesses in the area gave a description of the suspect who was quickly apprehended on foot in the area. Police have not released the name of the victim pending notification of family members.&nbsp;Police believe the suspect in custody acted alone and there is no further threat to the community from this incident.&nbsp;

Kansas felon jailed after New Year's Eve death in Newton

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — An actress who had a small role in the movie “Captain America: The First Avenger" is accused of fatally stabbing her mother inside a suburban Kansas City home.

38-year-old Mollie Fitzgerald was arrested Tuesday by police in Olathe, Kansas.

She's charged with second-degree murder in the death of 68-year-old Patricia “Tee” Fitzgerald.

Authorities say she was found dead on Dec. 20 inside her Olathe home.

A relative says Patricia Fitzgerald was in the process of moving back to the Kansas City area after living in the Houston area for several decades.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1577905527787.png" alt="Fitzgerald photo Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Fitzgerald photo Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — An actress who had a small role in the movie “Captain America: The First Avenger" is accused of fatally stabbing her mother inside a suburban Kansas City home.38-year-old Mollie Fitzgerald was arrested Tuesday by police in Olathe, Kansas.She's charged with second-degree murder in the death of 68-year-old Patricia “Tee” Fitzgerald.Authorities say she was found dead on Dec. 20 inside her Olathe home.A relative says Patricia Fitzgerald was in the process of moving back to the Kansas City area after living in the Houston area for several decades.

`Captain America' actress charged with killing mom in Kansas

WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;Wichita police officer helped pull two women from a burning car after the driver crashed and ran away.

The 25-year-old driver identified as&nbsp;Isaiah Carter was arrested near the accident early Tuesday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence, aggravated battery, resisting arrest, having outstanding warrants and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The car was going north on a street in east Wichita when an officer saw it accelerate rapidly. The officer turned around but didn’t turn on his lights before car crashed into a concrete retaining wall near U.S. 400, according to officer Charley Davidson.

By the time a second officer arrived at the accident, the car's engine compartment had caught fire.

A 37-year-old woman in the front passenger seat and a 31-year-old woman in the rear seat were still in the car and incapacitated. Davidson said the second officer pulled them to safety.

Both women and a 31-year-old man who got out of the car on his own were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Wichita Fire Department extinguished the blaze. Davidson said a handgun was found in the car and cocaine was found nearby.

Carter has previous convictions for aggravated battery and child endangerment, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577841137588.png" alt="Carter photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Carter photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;Wichita police officer helped pull two women from a burning car after the driver crashed and ran away.The 25-year-old driver identified as&nbsp;Isaiah Carter was arrested near the accident early Tuesday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence, aggravated battery, resisting arrest, having outstanding warrants and being a felon in possession of a firearm.The car was going north on a street in east Wichita when an officer saw it accelerate rapidly. The officer turned around but didn’t turn on his lights before car crashed into a concrete retaining wall near U.S. 400, according to officer Charley Davidson.By the time a second officer arrived at the accident, the car's engine compartment had caught fire.A 37-year-old woman in the front passenger seat and a 31-year-old woman in the rear seat were still in the car and incapacitated. Davidson said the second officer pulled them to safety.Both women and a 31-year-old man who got out of the car on his own were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The Wichita Fire Department extinguished the blaze. Davidson said a handgun was found in the car and cocaine was found nearby.Carter has previous convictions for aggravated battery and child endangerment, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. officer helps pull 2 from crashed, burning car; suspect arrested

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a brief high-speed chase.

Just before 11:30p.m. Sunday, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a pickup truck near NW 24 Highway and Rochester Road, according to sheriff's deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp;

The pickup truck pulled into a parking lot and failed to yield. The Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center advised that the tag on the vehicle was not valid.

The vehicle drove back onto Rochester road and fled to the north. A pursuit was initiated and lasted approximately two minutes. The pursuit ended when the pickup truck pulled into a driveway on NW Wilder Road.

The driver of the pickup truck was identified as David W. Brooks, 54, of Topeka. He was arrested for the traffic charges and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The passenger was identified as Tommy L. Sherrill, 50, of Topeka, and was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A handgun was located in a yard near 600 NW Menninger and was believed to have been thrown from the pickup truck during the pursuit. The total amount of methamphetamine taken from the pickup truck was over 8 grams, according to the sheriff's department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577791221271.png" alt="Brooks photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Brooks photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a brief high-speed chase.Just before 11:30p.m. Sunday, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a pickup truck near NW 24 Highway and Rochester Road, according to sheriff's deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp;The pickup truck pulled into a parking lot and failed to yield. The Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center advised that the tag on the vehicle was not valid.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577791319243.png" alt="Sherrill photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Sherrill photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>The vehicle drove back onto Rochester road and fled to the north. A pursuit was initiated and lasted approximately two minutes. The pursuit ended when the pickup truck pulled into a driveway on NW Wilder Road.The driver of the pickup truck was identified as David W. Brooks, 54, of Topeka. He was arrested for the traffic charges and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The passenger was identified as Tommy L. Sherrill, 50, of Topeka, and was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.A handgun was located in a yard near 600 NW Menninger and was believed to have been thrown from the pickup truck during the pursuit. The total amount of methamphetamine taken from the pickup truck was over 8 grams, according to the sheriff's department.

Kansas suspects threw gun from car during high-speed chase

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting during a high-speed chase and have identified the victim as&nbsp;Debra D. Arbuckle, 51,&nbsp; Andover, according to Lt. Tim Myers with Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department.

Arbuckle had 3 active felony arrest warrants in Sedgwick County at the time of the pursuit.  The warrants were issued for failing to appear in court on criminal charges of Possession of Opiates, Possession of Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, and traffic charges.  Arbuckle has been arrested 38 times.  35 times in Sedgwick County, Kansas, 2 times in Newton, Kansas, and once in Texas, according to Myers.&nbsp;

Just after 3a.m. Monday, police were involved in a pursuit with a Volkswagen. A short time later, Sedgwick County deputies attempted to stop the same vehicle driven by Arbuckle that was traveling on MacArthur just west of Kansas 15 Highway, according to Colonel Brian White with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department.

Arbuckle refused to stop and led deputies on a chase that last approximately 19 minutes.&nbsp;

During the pursuit, law enforcement used tire deflation devices on two occasions, according to White. Both deployments were successful but the driver refused to stop.

Law enforcement attempted tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) three times during the chase. The second attempt was successful but the driver managed to regain control and continue driving.

Just after 3:43 a.m., the pursuit ended after the 3rd&nbsp;TVI method was used.

The deputy gave several commands to Arbuckle to turn off the vehicle.&nbsp; She did not comply with the commands.&nbsp; Arbuckle placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated toward deputies.&nbsp;

Fearing for his life and life of the other deputies, a deputy fired several rounds striking her and she was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:00 a.m.

The body was transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center where an autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Events of this nature escalate quickly.&nbsp; From the time the deputy got out of his car to the time the shots were fired was less than a minute.&nbsp;

The KBI, Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and the Professional Standards Unit of the Sheriff’s Office were all notified.&nbsp; The KBI is assisting with the case.&nbsp; The investigation is still very active.&nbsp; There are multiple body camera videos to review and multiple patrol vehicle videos to review.&nbsp;

No injuries were reported by the deputies involved.&nbsp; The deputy who fired the shots is 26-years-old and has been a deputy with the sheriff’s office for almost 6 years.&nbsp;

It is unfortunate anytime someone is injured or killed in a use of force event.&nbsp; Whenever an incident such as this occurs we conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there were any violations of law or our policy.

Upon the completion of the criminal investigation, the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for review.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577828011429.png" alt="Arbuckle had previous convictions for theft, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Arbuckle had previous convictions for theft, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting during a high-speed chase and have identified the victim as&nbsp;Debra D. Arbuckle, 51,&nbsp; Andover, according to Lt. Tim Myers with Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department.Arbuckle had 3 active felony arrest warrants in Sedgwick County at the time of the pursuit. The warrants were issued for failing to appear in court on criminal charges of Possession of Opiates, Possession of Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, and traffic charges. Arbuckle has been arrested 38 times. 35 times in Sedgwick County, Kansas, 2 times in Newton, Kansas, and once in Texas, according to Myers.&nbsp;Just after 3a.m. Monday, police were involved in a pursuit with a Volkswagen. A short time later, Sedgwick County deputies attempted to stop the same vehicle driven by Arbuckle that was traveling on MacArthur just west of Kansas 15 Highway, according to Colonel Brian White with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department.Arbuckle refused to stop and led deputies on a chase that last approximately 19 minutes.&nbsp;During the pursuit, law enforcement used tire deflation devices on two occasions, according to White. Both deployments were successful but the driver refused to stop.Law enforcement attempted tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) three times during the chase. The second attempt was successful but the driver managed to regain control and continue driving.Just after 3:43 a.m., the pursuit ended after the 3rd&nbsp;TVI method was used.The deputy gave several commands to Arbuckle to turn off the vehicle.&nbsp; She did not comply with the commands.&nbsp; Arbuckle placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated toward deputies.&nbsp;Fearing for his life and life of the other deputies, a deputy fired several rounds striking her and she was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:00 a.m.The body was transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center where an autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.Events of this nature escalate quickly.&nbsp; From the time the deputy got out of his car to the time the shots were fired was less than a minute.&nbsp;The KBI, Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and the Professional Standards Unit of the Sheriff’s Office were all notified.&nbsp; The KBI is assisting with the case.&nbsp; The investigation is still very active.&nbsp; There are multiple body camera videos to review and multiple patrol vehicle videos to review.&nbsp;No injuries were reported by the deputies involved.&nbsp; The deputy who fired the shots is 26-years-old and has been a deputy with the sheriff’s office for almost 6 years.&nbsp;It is unfortunate anytime someone is injured or killed in a use of force event.&nbsp; Whenever an incident such as this occurs we conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there were any violations of law or our policy.Upon the completion of the criminal investigation, the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for review.

Woman who died in Kan. deputy shooting had been arrested 38 times

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping and have made an arrest.

Just after 3a.m. Sunday, police conducted a traffic stop in Garden City and located a missing 15-year-old girl in the passenger seat, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.

Investigators learned that on December 23, the girl had been taken against her will by 18-year-old Cipriano Garcia. On Monday, police located and arrested Garcia. He was being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, according to Urteaga.&nbsp; On Tuesday morning, Garcia was no longer in custody.&nbsp;

Sunday's traffic stop was not related to the the alleged kidnapping.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577801606092.png" alt="Garcia photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Garcia photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping and have made an arrest.Just after 3a.m. Sunday, police conducted a traffic stop in Garden City and located a missing 15-year-old girl in the passenger seat, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.Investigators learned that on December 23, the girl had been taken against her will by 18-year-old Cipriano Garcia. On Monday, police located and arrested Garcia. He was being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, according to Urteaga.&nbsp; On Tuesday morning, Garcia was no longer in custody.&nbsp;Sunday's traffic stop was not related to the the alleged kidnapping.

Missing 15-year-old girl rescued during Kansas traffic stop

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a suspect in the deaths of a mother and two children whose bodies were found after a house fire in Kansas City, Kansas.

Police said late Monday in a tweet that charges are pending a review by the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office. The cause of death and a motive weren't immediately released.

Firefighters responded to the blaze around 4:35 a.m. Monday. KCTV reports that the victims have been identified as 32-year-old Yazmine Rodriguez, 14-year-old Amerikha Rodriguez and 10-year-old Jean Carlos Rodriguez.

Family members say they tried to reach Yazmine all day Sunday, but she never called or texted them back.

“I want justice and if anybody saw anything, anybody go inside the house, speak up,” Ana Rodriguez, the children’s aunt, said. “They were the happiest kids ever.”

Yazmine has two other children, who were with their father for Christmas break. The father of the children who died is in Mexico.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A fire at a Kansas City, Kansas, house that killed of an adult female and two juveniles early Monday is being investigated as a homicide case, police said.

An adult woman and two juveniles died in the blaze, which was reported about 4:30 a.m. Monday. Authorities initially reported that two adults and a child had died.

No other details were immediately released, including the names of the victims.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say that two adults and a youth have been killed in a house fire in Kansas City, Kansas.

The fire started around 4:30 a.m. Monday. No other details were immediately released about the blaze, including the names of the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577714834878.png" alt="Crews on the scene early Monday photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene early Monday photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a suspect in the deaths of a mother and two children whose bodies were found after a house fire in Kansas City, Kansas.Police said late Monday in a tweet that charges are pending a review by the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office. The cause of death and a motive weren't immediately released.Firefighters responded to the blaze around 4:35 a.m. Monday. KCTV reports that the victims have been identified as 32-year-old Yazmine Rodriguez, 14-year-old Amerikha Rodriguez and 10-year-old Jean Carlos Rodriguez.Family members say they tried to reach Yazmine all day Sunday, but she never called or texted them back.“I want justice and if anybody saw anything, anybody go inside the house, speak up,” Ana Rodriguez, the children’s aunt, said. “They were the happiest kids ever.”Yazmine has two other children, who were with their father for Christmas break. The father of the children who died is in Mexico.-------------KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A fire at a Kansas City, Kansas, house that killed of an adult female and two juveniles early Monday is being investigated as a homicide case, police said.An adult woman and two juveniles died in the blaze, which was reported about 4:30 a.m. Monday. Authorities initially reported that two adults and a child had died.No other details were immediately released, including the names of the victims.-------------------KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say that two adults and a youth have been killed in a house fire in Kansas City, Kansas.The fire started around 4:30 a.m. Monday. No other details were immediately released about the blaze, including the names of the victims.The fire is under investigation.

Police make arrest in deaths of woman, 2 kids in Kan. house fire

RENO COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a drug bust.

Just after 10a.m. Monday, the Hutchinson Police Department Repeat Offender Unit, Detective Division, and K-9 Unit served a search warrant at 404 E 10th Avenue in Hutchinson, following an&nbsp;investigation into the residence, which is in the immediate vicinity of Faris Elementary, for distributing illegal narcotics, according to a media release.

Police found distribution quantities of cocaine/crack cocaine and marijuana along with drug paraphernalia consistent with drug sales and over $17,000 in suspected drug proceeds

Police arrested 41-year-old Derrick Stewart on requested charges that include Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a School, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a School, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia w/Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a school and Felony Interference with Law Enforcement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stewart has previous convictions for battery, criminal discharge of a firearm and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577800184216.png" alt="Photo Hutchinson Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hutchinson Police</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a drug bust.Just after 10a.m. Monday, the Hutchinson Police Department Repeat Offender Unit, Detective Division, and K-9 Unit served a search warrant at 404 E 10th Avenue in Hutchinson, following an&nbsp;investigation into the residence, which is in the immediate vicinity of Faris Elementary, for distributing illegal narcotics, according to a media release.Police found distribution quantities of cocaine/crack cocaine and marijuana along with drug paraphernalia consistent with drug sales and over $17,000 in suspected drug proceeds<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577800234870.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Stewart Photo Reno Co.Police arrested 41-year-old Derrick Stewart on requested charges that include Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a School, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a School, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia w/Intent to Distribute within 1000' of a school and Felony Interference with Law Enforcement.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stewart has previous convictions for battery, criminal discharge of a firearm and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. police K9 helps seize drugs, cash near elementary school

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 10p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Goose Express convenience store&nbsp; 2901 SE Fremont Street in Topeka, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.

A suspect later identified as 29-year-old Craig&nbsp; Wilson wearing a black hoodie, red t-shirt, blue jeans and baseball cap entered the store, displayed a gun, and stole an undisclosed amount of money. He left the store westbound foot.

&nbsp;A short time later, TPD officers located Wilson, in the 2800 block of SE Monroe and placed him under arrest. He is being held on a requested charge for aggravated robbery, according to Ekis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577710266328.png" alt="Craig Wilson photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Craig Wilson photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.Just before 10p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Goose Express convenience store&nbsp; 2901 SE Fremont Street in Topeka, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.A suspect later identified as 29-year-old Craig&nbsp; Wilson wearing a black hoodie, red t-shirt, blue jeans and baseball cap entered the store, displayed a gun, and stole an undisclosed amount of money. He left the store westbound foot.&nbsp;A short time later, TPD officers located Wilson, in the 2800 block of SE Monroe and placed him under arrest. He is being held on a requested charge for aggravated robbery, according to Ekis.

Police arrest Kansas man shortly after armed robbery

WASHINGTON (AP) —Richard J. Poster served time for possessing child pornography, violated his probation by having contact with children, admitted masturbating in the bushes near a church school and in 2005 was put on a sex offender registry. And yet the former Catholic priest was only just this month added to a list of clergy members credibly accused of child sexual abuse — after The Associated Press asked why he was not included.

Victims advocates had long criticized the Roman Catholic Church for not making public the names of credibly accused priests. Now, despite the dioceses’ release of nearly 5,300 names, most in the last two years, critics say the lists are far from complete.

An AP analysis found more than 900 clergy members accused of child sexual abuse who were missing from lists released by the dioceses and religious orders where they served.

The AP reached that number by matching those public diocesan lists against a database of accused priests tracked by the group BishopAccountability.org and then scouring bankruptcy documents, lawsuits, settlement information, grand jury reports and media accounts.

More than a hundred of the former clergy members not listed by dioceses or religious orders had been charged with sexual crimes, including rape, solicitation and receiving or viewing child pornography.

On top of that, the AP found another nearly 400 priests and clergy members who were accused of abuse while serving in dioceses that have not yet released any names.

“No one should think, ‘Oh, the bishops are releasing their lists, there’s nothing left to do,’” said Terence McKiernan, co-founder of BishopAccountability.org, who has been tracking the abuse crisis and cataloging accused priests for almost two decades, accumulating a database of thousands of priests.

“There are a lot of holes in these lists,” he said. “There’s still a lot to do to get to actual, true transparency.”

Church officials say that absent an admission of guilt, they have to weigh releasing a name against harming the reputation of priests who may have been falsely accused. By naming accused priests, they note, they also open themselves to lawsuits from those who maintain their innocence.

Earlier this month, former priest John Tormey sued the Providence, Rhode Island, diocese, saying his reputation was irreparably harmed by his inclusion on the diocese’s credibly accused list. After the list was made public, he said he was asked to retire by the community college where he had worked for over a decade.

Some dioceses have excluded entire classes of clergy members from their lists — priests in religious orders, deceased priests who had only one allegation against them, priests ordained in foreign countries and, sometimes, deacons or seminarians ousted before they were ordained.

Others, like Poster, were excluded because of technicalities.

Poster’s name was not included when the Davenport, Iowa, diocese issued its first list of two dozen credibly accused priests in 2008. The diocese said his crime of possessing more than 270 videos and images of child pornography on his work laptop was not originally a qualifying offense in the church’s landmark charter on child abuse because there wasn’t a direct victim.

After he was released from prison, the diocese found Poster a job as a maintenance man at its office, but he was fired less than a year later after admitting to masturbating in the bushes on the property, which abuts a Catholic high school. Still, the diocese did not list him.

Poster went on to violate the terms of his probation, admitting he had contact with minors at a bookstore and near an elementary school, federal court records unsealed at the AP’s request show. A judge sent him back to jail for two months and imposed several other monitoring conditions.

Child pornography was added to the church’s child abuse charter in 2011 and, though the diocese promised it would update its list of perpetrators as required under a court-approved bankruptcy plan, it never included Poster.

“It was an oversight,” diocese spokesman Deacon David Montgomery told the AP. He said the public had been kept informed about the case through press releases issued from Poster’s arrest until his removal from the priesthood in 2007.

Poster, now 54, lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, near a school and two parks. He hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing for more than a decade and declined to comment when reached by the AP, saying he preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

Of the 900 unlisted accused clergy members, more than a tenth had been charged with a sex-related crime — a higher percentage than those named publicly by dioceses and orders, the AP found.

Dioceses varied widely in what they considered a credible accusation. Like Poster, some of the priests criminally charged with child pornography weren’t listed because some dioceses said a victim needed to report a complaint. In addition to Poster, the AP review found 15 other priests charged with possessing, distributing or creating child pornography who were not included on any list.

Other dioceses created exceptions for a host of other reasons, ranging from cases being deemed not credible by a board of lay church people to the clergy members in question having since died and thus being unable to defend themselves.

“If your goal is protecting kids and healing victims, your lists will be as broad and detailed as possible. If your goal is protecting your reputation and institution, it will be narrow and vague. And that’s the choice most bishops are making,” said David Clohessy, the former executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, who now heads the group’s St. Louis chapter.

The largest exceptions were made for the nearly 400 priests in religious orders who, while they serve in diocesan schools and parishes, don’t report to the bishops.

Richard J. McCormick, a Salesian priest who worked at parishes, schools and religious camps in dioceses in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana and Louisiana, has been accused of molesting or having inappropriate contact with children from three states. In 2009, his order settled the first three civil claims against him. Yet he does not appear on any list of credibly accused clergy members.

McCormick finally faced criminal charges after one of his victims spotted the priest’s name on a very different list — one posted in 2011 by a Boston lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, who represents church sexual abuse victims.

Thirty years had gone by, but Joey Covino said he immediately recognized a photo of McCormick as the priest who had molested him over two summers at a Salesian camp, a woodsy retreat for underprivileged boys in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Covino’s boyhood had revolved around church, where he served as an altar boy, played in a Catholic Little League and where his mother — raising four children on her own — gratefully accepted assistance from friendly priests.

When she sent Covino and his brothers back to the free camp for a second year, “I was petrified — petrified — and I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even ask my brothers to see if it had happened to them,” said Covino, now 49 and a police officer in Revere, Massachusetts. “I’ve always told myself I should have done something. I should have fought back.”

Covino said the entirety of his adult life had been altered by McCormick’s abuse — failed relationships, his decisions to join the military and later the police, nightmares that plagued him. His decision to come forward led to McCormick being convicted of rape in 2014 and sentenced to up to 10 years. The priest since has pleaded guilty to assaulting another boy.

The Salesians, based in New Rochelle, New York, have never posted a list of credibly accused priests.

“Our men who have been credibly accused and have had accusations have been listed in the various dioceses that we serve,” said Father Steve Ryan, vice provincial of the order.

Ryan said he was certain McCormick’s name appeared on several lists, including Boston’s.

But when Boston posted its list in 2011, Archbishop Sean Patrick O’Malley wrote that he was not including priests from religious orders or visiting clerics because the diocese “does not determine the outcome in such cases; that is the responsibility of the priest’s order or diocese.”

O’Malley since has called on religious orders to post their own lists, spokesman Terry Donilon said.

The AP found the Boston archdiocese has the most accused priests left off its list, with almost 80 not included. Nearly three-quarters, like McCormick, were priests from religious orders. Another dozen died before allegations were received — another exclusion cited by the archdiocese.

McCormick also is not on the New York archdiocese’s list or lists posted by the Archdiocese of Gary, Indiana, and the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida — both places where he faced accusations. The archdiocese in New Orleans, where McCormick served in 1991, added his name to its list of credibly accused priests only after an inquiry from the AP.

Priests named on any list were excluded from the AP’s undercount analysis, even if they were not named on lists in the other dioceses where they served. Because the AP counted only priests left off all lists, critics say the number of 900 unnamed priests represents just a tiny portion of the true scope of the underreporting problem.

Other priests excluded from the credibly accused lists were left off because of findings from the diocesan investigations process.

Review boards — independent panels in each diocese staffed with lay people to review allegations of abuse — make the initial recommendation on whether an allegation is credible. The standards those boards use to investigate claims and the process itself often is so shrouded from public view that some victims say they weren’t allowed to attend when their allegations were discussed.

Dozens of priests whose accusers received payouts or legal settlements were left off credibly accused lists because review boards deemed the accusations not substantiated or because bishops or even the Vatican later overturned the board’s findings on appeal. The standards for Vatican appeals are even more secretive.

In 2006, the Chicago Archdiocese’s review board investigated a claim from two brothers who alleged a priest named Robert Stepek had abused them. The board found “reasonable cause to suspect that sexual abuse of minors occurred,” but Stepek was restored to good standing in 2013 after a Vatican court said it was “unable to find evidence strong enough.” The court found Stepek engaged in inappropriate behavior for a priest, however, and he remained without an assignment under restrictions until his death in 2016.

The AP found about 45 accused clergy members who did not appear on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s list of credibly accused priests. The archdiocese said they were excluded for a variety of reasons, including deciding that about a dozen priests found unsuitable for ministry by a review board due to conduct involving minors did not do anything that rose to the level of abuse.

A spokesman said the archdiocese has a thorough and transparent investigation process, but declined to comment on any of the individual cases of priests not named on its list.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the AP that he had to fight church leaders to release a groundbreaking 2018 grand jury report that named more than 300 predator priests and cataloged clergy abuse over seven decades in six of the state’s dioceses, not including Philadelphia.

Several bishops played a direct role in covering up the abuse in Pennsylvania, Shapiro said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577659795264.png" alt="Richard Poster photo Maryland Dept. of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Richard Poster photo Maryland Dept. of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLAUDIA LAUER and MEGHAN HOYERWASHINGTON (AP) —Richard J. Poster served time for possessing child pornography, violated his probation by having contact with children, admitted masturbating in the bushes near a church school and in 2005 was put on a sex offender registry. And yet the former Catholic priest was only just this month added to a list of clergy members credibly accused of child sexual abuse — after The Associated Press asked why he was not included.Victims advocates had long criticized the Roman Catholic Church for not making public the names of credibly accused priests. Now, despite the dioceses’ release of nearly 5,300 names, most in the last two years, critics say the lists are far from complete.An AP analysis found more than 900 clergy members accused of child sexual abuse who were missing from lists released by the dioceses and religious orders where they served.The AP reached that number by matching those public diocesan lists against a database of accused priests tracked by the group BishopAccountability.org and then scouring bankruptcy documents, lawsuits, settlement information, grand jury reports and media accounts.More than a hundred of the former clergy members not listed by dioceses or religious orders had been charged with sexual crimes, including rape, solicitation and receiving or viewing child pornography.On top of that, the AP found another nearly 400 priests and clergy members who were accused of abuse while serving in dioceses that have not yet released any names.“No one should think, ‘Oh, the bishops are releasing their lists, there’s nothing left to do,’” said Terence McKiernan, co-founder of BishopAccountability.org, who has been tracking the abuse crisis and cataloging accused priests for almost two decades, accumulating a database of thousands of priests.“There are a lot of holes in these lists,” he said. “There’s still a lot to do to get to actual, true transparency.”Church officials say that absent an admission of guilt, they have to weigh releasing a name against harming the reputation of priests who may have been falsely accused. By naming accused priests, they note, they also open themselves to lawsuits from those who maintain their innocence.Earlier this month, former priest John Tormey sued the Providence, Rhode Island, diocese, saying his reputation was irreparably harmed by his inclusion on the diocese’s credibly accused list. After the list was made public, he said he was asked to retire by the community college where he had worked for over a decade.Some dioceses have excluded entire classes of clergy members from their lists — priests in religious orders, deceased priests who had only one allegation against them, priests ordained in foreign countries and, sometimes, deacons or seminarians ousted before they were ordained.Others, like Poster, were excluded because of technicalities.Poster’s name was not included when the Davenport, Iowa, diocese issued its first list of two dozen credibly accused priests in 2008. The diocese said his crime of possessing more than 270 videos and images of child pornography on his work laptop was not originally a qualifying offense in the church’s landmark charter on child abuse because there wasn’t a direct victim.After he was released from prison, the diocese found Poster a job as a maintenance man at its office, but he was fired less than a year later after admitting to masturbating in the bushes on the property, which abuts a Catholic high school. Still, the diocese did not list him.Poster went on to violate the terms of his probation, admitting he had contact with minors at a bookstore and near an elementary school, federal court records unsealed at the AP’s request show. A judge sent him back to jail for two months and imposed several other monitoring conditions.Child pornography was added to the church’s child abuse charter in 2011 and, though the diocese promised it would update its list of perpetrators as required under a court-approved bankruptcy plan, it never included Poster.“It was an oversight,” diocese spokesman Deacon David Montgomery told the AP. He said the public had been kept informed about the case through press releases issued from Poster’s arrest until his removal from the priesthood in 2007.Poster, now 54, lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, near a school and two parks. He hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing for more than a decade and declined to comment when reached by the AP, saying he preferred to stay out of the spotlight.Of the 900 unlisted accused clergy members, more than a tenth had been charged with a sex-related crime — a higher percentage than those named publicly by dioceses and orders, the AP found.Dioceses varied widely in what they considered a credible accusation. Like Poster, some of the priests criminally charged with child pornography weren’t listed because some dioceses said a victim needed to report a complaint. In addition to Poster, the AP review found 15 other priests charged with possessing, distributing or creating child pornography who were not included on any list.Other dioceses created exceptions for a host of other reasons, ranging from cases being deemed not credible by a board of lay church people to the clergy members in question having since died and thus being unable to defend themselves.“If your goal is protecting kids and healing victims, your lists will be as broad and detailed as possible. If your goal is protecting your reputation and institution, it will be narrow and vague. And that’s the choice most bishops are making,” said David Clohessy, the former executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, who now heads the group’s St. Louis chapter.The largest exceptions were made for the nearly 400 priests in religious orders who, while they serve in diocesan schools and parishes, don’t report to the bishops.Richard J. McCormick, a Salesian priest who worked at parishes, schools and religious camps in dioceses in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana and Louisiana, has been accused of molesting or having inappropriate contact with children from three states. In 2009, his order settled the first three civil claims against him. Yet he does not appear on any list of credibly accused clergy members.McCormick finally faced criminal charges after one of his victims spotted the priest’s name on a very different list — one posted in 2011 by a Boston lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, who represents church sexual abuse victims.Thirty years had gone by, but Joey Covino said he immediately recognized a photo of McCormick as the priest who had molested him over two summers at a Salesian camp, a woodsy retreat for underprivileged boys in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Covino’s boyhood had revolved around church, where he served as an altar boy, played in a Catholic Little League and where his mother — raising four children on her own — gratefully accepted assistance from friendly priests.When she sent Covino and his brothers back to the free camp for a second year, “I was petrified — petrified — and I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even ask my brothers to see if it had happened to them,” said Covino, now 49 and a police officer in Revere, Massachusetts. “I’ve always told myself I should have done something. I should have fought back.”Covino said the entirety of his adult life had been altered by McCormick’s abuse — failed relationships, his decisions to join the military and later the police, nightmares that plagued him. His decision to come forward led to McCormick being convicted of rape in 2014 and sentenced to up to 10 years. The priest since has pleaded guilty to assaulting another boy.The Salesians, based in New Rochelle, New York, have never posted a list of credibly accused priests.“Our men who have been credibly accused and have had accusations have been listed in the various dioceses that we serve,” said Father Steve Ryan, vice provincial of the order.Ryan said he was certain McCormick’s name appeared on several lists, including Boston’s.But when Boston posted its list in 2011, Archbishop Sean Patrick O’Malley wrote that he was not including priests from religious orders or visiting clerics because the diocese “does not determine the outcome in such cases; that is the responsibility of the priest’s order or diocese.”O’Malley since has called on religious orders to post their own lists, spokesman Terry Donilon said.The AP found the Boston archdiocese has the most accused priests left off its list, with almost 80 not included. Nearly three-quarters, like McCormick, were priests from religious orders. Another dozen died before allegations were received — another exclusion cited by the archdiocese.McCormick also is not on the New York archdiocese’s list or lists posted by the Archdiocese of Gary, Indiana, and the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida — both places where he faced accusations. The archdiocese in New Orleans, where McCormick served in 1991, added his name to its list of credibly accused priests only after an inquiry from the AP.Priests named on any list were excluded from the AP’s undercount analysis, even if they were not named on lists in the other dioceses where they served. Because the AP counted only priests left off all lists, critics say the number of 900 unnamed priests represents just a tiny portion of the true scope of the underreporting problem.Other priests excluded from the credibly accused lists were left off because of findings from the diocesan investigations process.Review boards — independent panels in each diocese staffed with lay people to review allegations of abuse — make the initial recommendation on whether an allegation is credible. The standards those boards use to investigate claims and the process itself often is so shrouded from public view that some victims say they weren’t allowed to attend when their allegations were discussed.Dozens of priests whose accusers received payouts or legal settlements were left off credibly accused lists because review boards deemed the accusations not substantiated or because bishops or even the Vatican later overturned the board’s findings on appeal. The standards for Vatican appeals are even more secretive.In 2006, the Chicago Archdiocese’s review board investigated a claim from two brothers who alleged a priest named Robert Stepek had abused them. The board found “reasonable cause to suspect that sexual abuse of minors occurred,” but Stepek was restored to good standing in 2013 after a Vatican court said it was “unable to find evidence strong enough.” The court found Stepek engaged in inappropriate behavior for a priest, however, and he remained without an assignment under restrictions until his death in 2016.The AP found about 45 accused clergy members who did not appear on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s list of credibly accused priests. The archdiocese said they were excluded for a variety of reasons, including deciding that about a dozen priests found unsuitable for ministry by a review board due to conduct involving minors did not do anything that rose to the level of abuse.A spokesman said the archdiocese has a thorough and transparent investigation process, but declined to comment on any of the individual cases of priests not named on its list.Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the AP that he had to fight church leaders to release a groundbreaking 2018 grand jury report that named more than 300 predator priests and cataloged clergy abuse over seven decades in six of the state’s dioceses, not including Philadelphia.Several bishops played a direct role in covering up the abuse in Pennsylvania, Shapiro said.“You can’t put much stock in the lists that the church voluntarily provides because they cannot be trusted to police themselves,” he said.In Buffalo, New York, Bishop Richard Malone resigned under pressure earlier this month after his executive assistant leaked internal church documents to a reporter after becoming concerned the bishop had intentionally omitted dozens of names from its list of credibly accused priests.Buffalo’s list has more than doubled to 105 clergy members since those documents were released. Still, the AP found nearly three dozen accused priests who remain unnamed by the diocese.The number of new claims being reported to law enforcement and church officials over the last two years has increased, spurred in part by revelations of abuse from high-ranking church officials such as former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and by the Pennsylvania grand jury report and the more than 20 other state investigations launched in its wake.The AP found more than 130 priests who were accused in the last two years whose names do not appear on any lists. Another 37 unlisted priests were accused under New York’s Child Victims Act, which recently opened a window for victims to file civil lawsuits regardless of the statute of limitations, a trend being echoed across the country.Anne Burke, now chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, was part of the Catholic Church’s inaugural National Review Board, a commission formed to help implement the church’s 2002 child abuse charter.“We gave our report and recommendations over 15 years ago. They never followed through. That was the final nail in the coffin as far as we were concerned in terms of the bishops ever being able to pull themselves away … from the bureaucracy and be transparent,” Burke said. “That is why we are here again today, and it’s worse.”Many advocates say the church has a long way to go toward being transparent and are determined to see that it becomes far more open about problem priests.Attorney Jeff Anderson, known for suing dioceses for information on accused clergy, has released almost 30 various rosters of clergy he has received allegations against or whose names appear in church documents.“We feel a fierce public imperative to continue to release our lists because those released by dioceses contain only a fraction of the true report,” Anderson said. “And they lead people to believe they are coming clean when they are not.”It was a list that Anderson’s law firm released in the Archdiocese of New York that led 34-year-old Joe Caramanno to file a complaint, decades after he said he was abused.Caramanno had been hospitalized for an anxiety disorder when he was a teenager and part of his return to high school involved mandated meetings with a priest who controlled his medication. It was during those sessions that Caramanno said Monsignor John Paddack fondled him.Caramanno, now a teacher, said it wasn’t until he saw Paddack’s name on Anderson’s list that he felt he could come forward. “I needed the validation that it wasn’t just me. It made it more real,” he said.The archdiocese’s official list of credibly accused priests, released a few months after Anderson’s, contains only half the names and does not include Paddack, who has stepped down during the ongoing investigation.“It makes me wonder if I hadn’t come forward … would he still be an active priest?” said Caramanno, who has filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese under New York’s Child Victims Act.An archdiocese spokesman said a request for comment had been relayed to Paddack, but the priest did not respond.Victims and advocates say the church should be transparent about investigations when allegations are received, arguing that trust in the church can be restored only if bishops are completely forthcoming.Several dioceses have chosen to include priests under investigation on their lists, removing them if the allegations are determined to be unsubstantiated, but many others do not disclose investigations or include those names.“Every cleric no matter where they came from or were ordained or went to school or who signs their paycheck ... all of that is hair-splitting and irrelevant,” said Clohessy, of the group SNAP. “What matters is one question: Did or does this credibly accused predator have access to my flock ever? Even for a few hours. If the answer is yes, then that bishop needs to put that predator on his list.”___