&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.

Just after 8p.m. Feb. 7, a Sheriffs Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford pickup truck on U.S. Highway 75 near 126th Road for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp; Deputies arrested the passenger, 61-year-old Daniel Lorann Hysten, of Topeka on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The driver, Frank Newton, of Topeka, was arrested on an outstanding City of Topeka warrant.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770686510829.png" alt="Hysten photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Hysten photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.</p><p>Just after 8p.m. Feb. 7, a Sheriffs Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford pickup truck on U.S. Highway 75 near 126th Road for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp; Deputies arrested the passenger, 61-year-old Daniel Lorann Hysten, of Topeka on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. </p><p>The driver, Frank Newton, of Topeka, was arrested on an outstanding City of Topeka warrant.</p>

Pickup passenger caught with meth during Kan. traffic stop

DOUGLAS COUNTY – Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) investigators and Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with multiple aggravated arsons and burglaries that occurred between December 2025 and February 2026, according to a statement from Lawrence Police.

The suspect was taken into custody on February 7, following a joint investigation by investigators and police detectives. The investigators have identified the crimes took place at three separate apartment complexes involving four vacant dwelling units and two laundry rooms. Damage estimates are not available at this time.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the suspect.

<p>DOUGLAS COUNTY – Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) investigators and Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with multiple aggravated arsons and burglaries that occurred between December 2025 and February 2026, according to a statement from Lawrence Police.</p><p>The suspect was taken into custody on February 7, following a joint investigation by investigators and police detectives. The investigators have identified the crimes took place at three separate apartment complexes involving four vacant dwelling units and two laundry rooms. Damage estimates are not available at this time.&nbsp; Police did not release the name of the suspect.</p>

Police arrest suspect in multiple Kan. arson and burglaries

RILEY COUNTY —A member of the Kansas State University men's basketball staff is under investigation for alleged violent crimes.

Just before 1:30a.m. Monday, 29-year-old Mark Vital was booked into the Riley County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;domestic battery; knowing rude physical contact with family member or dating relationship, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report. 

On Monday afternoon, K-State Athletics released a statement on the arrest.

"We are aware of Mark Vital's arrest on Sunday night. He has been removed from all team responsibilities until the judicial process runs its course."

Just after 3a.m. Monday, Vital met the requirement of a $2,000 bond and is no longer in custody.

He is in his first season as a graduate student manager at K-State, according to his online bio. Vital was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a member of Baylor’s 2021 National Championship team where K-State head coach Jerome Tang was an assistant.&nbsp; Vital is working towards a master’s in counseling and student development at K-State.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770655588483.png" alt="Vital photo K-State Athletics" />
                        <figcaption>Vital photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RILEY COUNTY —A member of the Kansas State University men's basketball staff is under investigation for alleged violent crimes.</p><p>Just before 1:30a.m. Monday, 29-year-old Mark Vital was booked into the Riley County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;domestic battery; knowing rude physical contact with family member or dating relationship, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report. </p><p>On Monday afternoon, K-State Athletics released a statement on the arrest.</p><p>"We are aware of Mark Vital's arrest on Sunday night. He has been removed from all team responsibilities until the judicial process runs its course."</p><p>Just after 3a.m. Monday, Vital met the requirement of a $2,000 bond and is no longer in custody.</p><p>He is in his first season as a graduate student manager at K-State, according to his online bio. Vital was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a member of Baylor’s 2021 National Championship team where K-State head coach Jerome Tang was an assistant.&nbsp; Vital is working towards a master’s in counseling and student development at K-State.</p>

K-State statement on arrest of basketball staffer

SEDGWICK COUNTY<b>—</b>Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;arrested two suspects including a teen in connection with an aggravated assault with a firearm that occurred at a home in Garden Plain.

Just before 10 p.m., deputies and the Garden Plain Police Department responded to reports of shots fired into an occupied home in the 300 block of West Lavern Lane, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's office spokesman Branden Stitt.

 The Garden Plain Police Department requested the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the shooting. No one was struck by gunfire, and no injuries were reported.

Detectives believe one of the victims, who was also the intended target, was involved in a drug transaction with the suspects that involved the use of counterfeit currency. Detectives believe the suspects then followed the victim back to his home and fired shots into the occupied house.&nbsp;

The investigation continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 7, when deputies, detectives and forensic investigators identified and arrested the suspects. Detectives booked 20-year-old Cristian Yair Garcia and a 16-year-old male juvenile, both of Cheney, on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770673396405.png" alt="Garcia photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Garcia photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY<b>—</b>Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;arrested two suspects including a teen in connection with an aggravated assault with a firearm that occurred at a home in Garden Plain.</p><p>Just before 10 p.m., deputies and the Garden Plain Police Department responded to reports of shots fired into an occupied home in the 300 block of West Lavern Lane, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's office spokesman Branden Stitt.</p><p> The Garden Plain Police Department requested the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation.</p><p>Four people were inside the home at the time of the shooting. No one was struck by gunfire, and no injuries were reported.</p><p>Detectives believe one of the victims, who was also the intended target, was involved in a drug transaction with the suspects that involved the use of counterfeit currency. Detectives believe the suspects then followed the victim back to his home and fired shots into the occupied house.&nbsp;</p><p>The investigation continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 7, when deputies, detectives and forensic investigators identified and arrested the suspects. Detectives booked 20-year-old Cristian Yair Garcia and a 16-year-old male juvenile, both of Cheney, on charges of criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling.</p><p>The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.</p>

Counterfeit cash drug deal led to gunfire at Kansas home

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a weekend arrest.&nbsp;

On Sunday morning, Horton police notified police in Atchison that a suspect wanted on an outstanding Brown County warrant was at a residence in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Police officers located 29-year-old Thomas Pahmahmie at a residence in the 500 block Park Street and he was taken into custody on a Brown County warrant for aggravated kidnapping, attempted murder in the second degree, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and criminal threat.&nbsp; Pahmahmie has previous convictions for aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770646350849.png" alt="Pahmahmie photo Atchison County" />
                        <figcaption>Pahmahmie photo Atchison County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a weekend arrest.&nbsp;</p><p>On Sunday morning, Horton police notified police in Atchison that a suspect wanted on an outstanding Brown County warrant was at a residence in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.</p><p>Police officers located 29-year-old Thomas Pahmahmie at a residence in the 500 block Park Street and he was taken into custody on a Brown County warrant for aggravated kidnapping, attempted murder in the second degree, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and criminal threat.&nbsp; Pahmahmie has previous convictions for aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</p>

Kansas felon jailed for alleged kidnapping, attempted murder

RILEY COUNTY —A member of the Kansas State University men's basketball staff under investigation for alleged violent crimes.

Just before 1:30a.m. Monday, 29-year-old Mark Vital was booked into the Riley County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;domestic battery; knowing rude physical contact with family member or dating relationship, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report. Just after 3a.m. Vital met the requirement of a $2,000 bond and is no longer in custody.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770655588483.png" alt="Vital photo K-State Athletics" />
                        <figcaption>Vital photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RILEY COUNTY —A member of the Kansas State University men's basketball staff under investigation for alleged violent crimes.</p><p>Just before 1:30a.m. Monday, 29-year-old Mark Vital was booked into the Riley County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;domestic battery; knowing rude physical contact with family member or dating relationship, according to the Riley County Police Department arrest report. Just after 3a.m. Vital met the requirement of a $2,000 bond and is no longer in custody.</p><p>He is in his first season as a graduate student manager at K-State, according to his online bio. Vital was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a member of Baylor’s 2021 National Championship team where K-State head coach Jerome Tang was an assistant.&nbsp; Vital is working towards a master’s in counseling and student development at K-State.</p>

Police arrest K-State basketball grad student manager

NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI pored over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein’s</a>&nbsp;bank records and emails. It searched his homes. It spent years interviewing his victims and examining his connections to some of the world’s most influential people.

But while investigators collected ample proof that Epstein sexually abused underage girls, they found scant evidence the well-connected financier led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men, an Associated Press review of internal Justice Department records shows.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures">Click here to view the</a> Epstein files

Videos and photos seized from Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn’t depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.

An examination of Epstein’s financial records, including payments he made to entities linked to influential figures in academia, finance and global diplomacy, found no connection to criminal activity, said another internal memo in 2019.

While one Epstein victim made highly public claims that he “lent her” to his rich friends, agents couldn’t confirm that and found no other victims telling a similar story, the records said.

Summarizing the investigation in an email last July, agents said “four or five” Epstein accusers claimed other men or women had sexually abused them. But, the agents said, there “was not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals, so the cases were referred to local law enforcement.”

The AP and other media organizations are still reviewing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-justice-department-trump-musk-andrew-tisch-d5dfbb26b93c46a4d6ab9ecf4eb3d3b1">millions of pages of documents</a>, many of them previously confidential, that the Justice Department released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and it is possible those records contain evidence overlooked by investigators.

But the documents, which include police reports, FBI interview notes and prosecutor emails, provide the clearest picture to date of the investigation — and why U.S. authorities ultimately decided to close it without additional charges.

The Epstein investigation began in 2005, when the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at the millionaire’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Police would identify at least 35 girls with similar stories: Epstein was paying high school age students $200 or $300 to give him sexualized massages.

After the FBI joined the probe, federal prosecutors drafted indictments to charge Epstein and some personal assistants who had arranged the girls’ visits and payments. But instead, then-Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">struck a deal</a>&nbsp;letting Epstein plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein was free by mid-2009.

In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted New York federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.

Epstein was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bb41822a39a147ccb03501acf049b58c">arrested in July 2019</a>. One month later, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b76666895e674991a6782d77b726d085">killed himself</a>&nbsp;in his jail cell.

A year later, prosecutors charged Epstein’s longtime confidant,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/89212f72a6ca436f038e88ffd0250a40">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, saying she’d recruited several of his victims and sometimes joined the sexual abuse. Convicted in 2021, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.

Prosecutors fail to find evidence backing most sensational claims

Prosecution memos, case summaries and other documents made public in the department’s latest release of Epstein-related records show that FBI agents and federal prosecutors diligently pursued potential coconspirators. Even seemingly outlandish and incomprehensible claims, called in to tip lines, were examined.

Some allegations couldn’t be verified, investigators wrote.

In 2011 and again in 2019, investigators interviewed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Virginia Roberts Giuffre</a>, who in lawsuits and news interviews had accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with numerous men, including Britain’s former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-prince-andrew-strips-royal-titles-7fad76a46a211ae24b605cbd24e80748">Prince Andrew</a>.

Investigators said they confirmed that Giuffre had been sexually abused by Epstein. But other parts of her story were problematic.

Two other Epstein victims who Giuffre had claimed were also “lent out” to powerful men told investigators they had no such experience, prosecutors wrote in a 2019 internal memo.

“No other victim has described being expressly directed by either Maxwell or Epstein to engage in sexual activity with other men,” the memo said.

Giuffre acknowledged writing a partly fictionalized memoir of her time with Epstein containing descriptions of things that didn't take place. She had also offered shifting accounts in interviews with investigators, they wrote, and had "engaged in a continuous stream of public interviews about her allegations, many of which have included sensationalized if not demonstrably inaccurate characterizations of her experiences." Those inaccuracies included false accounts of her interactions with the FBI, they said.

Still, U.S. prosecutors attempted to arrange an interview with Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He refused to make himself available. Giuffre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-royalty-prince-andrew-4abc060592c70dd26e3ec9ce99395e6c">settled a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;with Mountbatten-Windsor in which she had accused him of sexual misconduct.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-giuffre-memoir-jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-0adb8b983ac18a45fc7ec035dc789d08">a memoir</a>&nbsp;published after she killed herself last year, Giuffre wrote that prosecutors told her they didn't include her in the case against Maxwell because they didn't want her allegations to distract the jury. She insisted her accounts of being trafficked to elite men were true.

Prosecutors say photos and videos don't implicate others

Investigators seized a multitude of videos and photos from Epstein’s electronic devices and homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They found CDs, hard copy photographs and at least one videotape containing nude images of females, some of whom seemed as if they might be minors. One device contained 15 to 20 images depicting commercial child sex abuse material — pictures investigators said Epstein obtained on the internet.

No videos or photos showed Epstein victims being sexually abused, none showed any males with any of the nude females, and none contained evidence implicating anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wrote in an email for FBI officials last year.

Had they existed, the government “would have pursued any leads they generated,” Comey wrote. “We did not, however, locate any such videos.”

Investigators who scoured Epstein’s bank records found payments to more than 25 women who appeared to be models — but no evidence that he was engaged in prostituting women to other men, prosecutors wrote.

In 2019, prosecutors weighed the possibility of charging one of Epstein’s longtime assistants but decided against it.

Prosecutors concluded that while the assistant was involved in helping Epstein pay girls for sex and may have been aware that some were underage, she herself was a victim of his sexual abuse and manipulation.

Investigators examined Epstein's relationship with the French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who once was involved in an agency with Epstein in the U.S., and who was accused in a separate case of sexually assaulting women in Europe. Brunel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;while awaiting trial on a rape charge in France.

Prosecutors also weighed whether to charge one of Epstein's girlfriends who had participated in sexual acts with some of his victims. Investigators interviewed the girlfriend, who was 18 to 20 years old at the time, “but it was determined there was not enough evidence,” according to a summary given to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-patel-fbi-justice-department-518329110ea230e2989095bfcbe34c59">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;last July.

Days before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest, the FBI strategized about sending agents to serve grand jury subpoenas on people close to Epstein, including his pilots and longtime business client, retail mogul Les Wexner.

Wexner’s lawyers told investigators that neither he nor his wife had knowledge of Epstein’s sexual misconduct. Epstein had managed Wexner's finances, but the couple's lawyers said they cut him off in 2007 after learning he'd stolen from them.

“There is limited evidence regarding his involvement,” an FBI agent wrote of Wexner in an Aug. 16, 2019, email.

In a statement to the AP, a legal representative for Wexner said prosecutors had informed him that he was “neither a coconspirator nor target in any respect," and that Wexner had cooperated with investigators.

Prosecutors also examined accounts from women who said they'd given massages at Epstein's home to guests who'd tried to make the encounters sexual. One woman accused private equity investor Leon Black of initiating sexual contact during a massage in 2011 or 2012, causing her to flee the room.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office subsequently investigated, but no charges were filed.

Black's lawyer, Susan Estrich, said he had paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice. She said in a statement that Black didn't engage in misconduct and had no awareness of Epstein's criminal activities. Lawsuits by two women who accused Black of sexual misconduct were dismissed or withdrawn. One is pending.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bondi-says-epstein-client-list-sitting-my-desk-right-now-reviewing-jfk-mlk-files">Fox News in February 2025</a>&nbsp;that Epstein’s never-before-seen “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now.” A few months later, she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-pam-bondi-trump-fa39193d5b5ff91970428bf077a5ce44">claimed the FBI was reviewing</a>&nbsp;“tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein “with children or child porn.”

But FBI agents wrote superiors saying the client list didn't exist.

On Dec. 30, 2024, about three weeks before President Joe Biden left office, then-FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate reached out through subordinates to ask "whether our investigation to date indicates the ‘client list,’ often referred to in the media, does or does not exist,” according to an email summarizing his query.

A day later, an FBI official replied that the case agent had confirmed no client list existed.

On Feb. 19, 2025, two days before Bondi’s Fox News appearance, an FBI supervisory special agent wrote: “While media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case references a ’client list,' investigators did not locate such a list during the course of the investigation.”

Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Epstein photo New York Sex offender registry" />
                        <figcaption>Epstein photo New York Sex offender registry</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI pored over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein’s</a>&nbsp;bank records and emails. It searched his homes. It spent years interviewing his victims and examining his connections to some of the world’s most influential people.</p><p>But while investigators collected ample proof that Epstein sexually abused underage girls, they found scant evidence the well-connected financier led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men, an Associated Press review of internal Justice Department records shows.</p><p><a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures">Click here to view the</a> Epstein files</p><p>Videos and photos seized from Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn’t depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.</p><p>An examination of Epstein’s financial records, including payments he made to entities linked to influential figures in academia, finance and global diplomacy, found no connection to criminal activity, said another internal memo in 2019.</p><p>While one Epstein victim made highly public claims that he “lent her” to his rich friends, agents couldn’t confirm that and found no other victims telling a similar story, the records said.</p><p>Summarizing the investigation in an email last July, agents said “four or five” Epstein accusers claimed other men or women had sexually abused them. But, the agents said, there “was not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals, so the cases were referred to local law enforcement.”</p><p>The AP and other media organizations are still reviewing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-justice-department-trump-musk-andrew-tisch-d5dfbb26b93c46a4d6ab9ecf4eb3d3b1">millions of pages of documents</a>, many of them previously confidential, that the Justice Department released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and it is possible those records contain evidence overlooked by investigators.</p><p>But the documents, which include police reports, FBI interview notes and prosecutor emails, provide the clearest picture to date of the investigation — and why U.S. authorities ultimately decided to close it without additional charges.</p><h2>Dozens of victims come forward</h2><p>The Epstein investigation began in 2005, when the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at the millionaire’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.</p><p>Police would identify at least 35 girls with similar stories: Epstein was paying high school age students $200 or $300 to give him sexualized massages.</p><p>After the FBI joined the probe, federal prosecutors drafted indictments to charge Epstein and some personal assistants who had arranged the girls’ visits and payments. But instead, then-Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">struck a deal</a>&nbsp;letting Epstein plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein was free by mid-2009.</p><p>In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted New York federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.</p><p>Epstein was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bb41822a39a147ccb03501acf049b58c">arrested in July 2019</a>. One month later, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b76666895e674991a6782d77b726d085">killed himself</a>&nbsp;in his jail cell.</p><p>A year later, prosecutors charged Epstein’s longtime confidant,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/89212f72a6ca436f038e88ffd0250a40">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, saying she’d recruited several of his victims and sometimes joined the sexual abuse. Convicted in 2021, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.</p><h2>Prosecutors fail to find evidence backing most sensational claims</h2><p>Prosecution memos, case summaries and other documents made public in the department’s latest release of Epstein-related records show that FBI agents and federal prosecutors diligently pursued potential coconspirators. Even seemingly outlandish and incomprehensible claims, called in to tip lines, were examined.</p><p>Some allegations couldn’t be verified, investigators wrote.</p><p>In 2011 and again in 2019, investigators interviewed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Virginia Roberts Giuffre</a>, who in lawsuits and news interviews had accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with numerous men, including Britain’s former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-prince-andrew-strips-royal-titles-7fad76a46a211ae24b605cbd24e80748">Prince Andrew</a>.</p><p>Investigators said they confirmed that Giuffre had been sexually abused by Epstein. But other parts of her story were problematic.</p><p>Two other Epstein victims who Giuffre had claimed were also “lent out” to powerful men told investigators they had no such experience, prosecutors wrote in a 2019 internal memo.</p><p>“No other victim has described being expressly directed by either Maxwell or Epstein to engage in sexual activity with other men,” the memo said.</p><p>Giuffre acknowledged writing a partly fictionalized memoir of her time with Epstein containing descriptions of things that didn't take place. She had also offered shifting accounts in interviews with investigators, they wrote, and had "engaged in a continuous stream of public interviews about her allegations, many of which have included sensationalized if not demonstrably inaccurate characterizations of her experiences." Those inaccuracies included false accounts of her interactions with the FBI, they said.</p><p>Still, U.S. prosecutors attempted to arrange an interview with Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He refused to make himself available. Giuffre&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-royalty-prince-andrew-4abc060592c70dd26e3ec9ce99395e6c">settled a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;with Mountbatten-Windsor in which she had accused him of sexual misconduct.</p><p>In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-giuffre-memoir-jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-0adb8b983ac18a45fc7ec035dc789d08">a memoir</a>&nbsp;published after she killed herself last year, Giuffre wrote that prosecutors told her they didn't include her in the case against Maxwell because they didn't want her allegations to distract the jury. She insisted her accounts of being trafficked to elite men were true.</p><h2>Prosecutors say photos and videos don't implicate others</h2><p>Investigators seized a multitude of videos and photos from Epstein’s electronic devices and homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They found CDs, hard copy photographs and at least one videotape containing nude images of females, some of whom seemed as if they might be minors. One device contained 15 to 20 images depicting commercial child sex abuse material — pictures investigators said Epstein obtained on the internet.</p><p>No videos or photos showed Epstein victims being sexually abused, none showed any males with any of the nude females, and none contained evidence implicating anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wrote in an email for FBI officials last year.</p><p>Had they existed, the government “would have pursued any leads they generated,” Comey wrote. “We did not, however, locate any such videos.”</p><p>Investigators who scoured Epstein’s bank records found payments to more than 25 women who appeared to be models — but no evidence that he was engaged in prostituting women to other men, prosecutors wrote.</p><h2>Epstein's close associates go uncharged</h2><p>In 2019, prosecutors weighed the possibility of charging one of Epstein’s longtime assistants but decided against it.</p><p>Prosecutors concluded that while the assistant was involved in helping Epstein pay girls for sex and may have been aware that some were underage, she herself was a victim of his sexual abuse and manipulation.</p><p>Investigators examined Epstein's relationship with the French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who once was involved in an agency with Epstein in the U.S., and who was accused in a separate case of sexually assaulting women in Europe. Brunel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;while awaiting trial on a rape charge in France.</p><p>Prosecutors also weighed whether to charge one of Epstein's girlfriends who had participated in sexual acts with some of his victims. Investigators interviewed the girlfriend, who was 18 to 20 years old at the time, “but it was determined there was not enough evidence,” according to a summary given to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-patel-fbi-justice-department-518329110ea230e2989095bfcbe34c59">FBI Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;last July.</p><p>Days before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest, the FBI strategized about sending agents to serve grand jury subpoenas on people close to Epstein, including his pilots and longtime business client, retail mogul Les Wexner.</p><p>Wexner’s lawyers told investigators that neither he nor his wife had knowledge of Epstein’s sexual misconduct. Epstein had managed Wexner's finances, but the couple's lawyers said they cut him off in 2007 after learning he'd stolen from them.</p><p>“There is limited evidence regarding his involvement,” an FBI agent wrote of Wexner in an Aug. 16, 2019, email.</p><p>In a statement to the AP, a legal representative for Wexner said prosecutors had informed him that he was “neither a coconspirator nor target in any respect," and that Wexner had cooperated with investigators.</p><p>Prosecutors also examined accounts from women who said they'd given massages at Epstein's home to guests who'd tried to make the encounters sexual. One woman accused private equity investor Leon Black of initiating sexual contact during a massage in 2011 or 2012, causing her to flee the room.</p><p>The Manhattan district attorney’s office subsequently investigated, but no charges were filed.</p><p>Black's lawyer, Susan Estrich, said he had paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice. She said in a statement that Black didn't engage in misconduct and had no awareness of Epstein's criminal activities. Lawsuits by two women who accused Black of sexual misconduct were dismissed or withdrawn. One is pending.</p><h2>No client list</h2><p>Attorney General Pam Bondi told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bondi-says-epstein-client-list-sitting-my-desk-right-now-reviewing-jfk-mlk-files">Fox News in February 2025</a>&nbsp;that Epstein’s never-before-seen “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now.” A few months later, she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-jeffrey-epstein-pam-bondi-trump-fa39193d5b5ff91970428bf077a5ce44">claimed the FBI was reviewing</a>&nbsp;“tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein “with children or child porn.”</p><p>But FBI agents wrote superiors saying the client list didn't exist.</p><p>On Dec. 30, 2024, about three weeks before President Joe Biden left office, then-FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate reached out through subordinates to ask "whether our investigation to date indicates the ‘client list,’ often referred to in the media, does or does not exist,” according to an email summarizing his query.</p><p>A day later, an FBI official replied that the case agent had confirmed no client list existed.</p><p>On Feb. 19, 2025, two days before Bondi’s Fox News appearance, an FBI supervisory special agent wrote: “While media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case references a ’client list,' investigators did not locate such a list during the course of the investigation.”</p><p>___</p><p>Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.</p>

What the Epstein files show about FBI investigation of sex trafficking

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.

Just before 2:30a.m., Kansas City police officers responded to reports of a burglary at 9500 Blue Ridge Boulevard, according to a media release.&nbsp; The report was of multiple suspects breaking into a building and storage container.

At the scene, KCPD officers found three people who ran.&nbsp; Two tried to get into a vehicle where an altercation occurred as officers attempted to take the two suspects into custody.&nbsp; During the altercation, one officer fired their duty weapon.

The gunfire struck the 35-year-old female in the driver's seat of the car. She was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp; Another male suspect at the vehicle was arrested.

Officers took the third suspect into custody several blocks away.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer involved shooting. KCPD is investigating the burglary.

<p>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.</p><p>Just before 2:30a.m., Kansas City police officers responded to reports of a burglary at 9500 Blue Ridge Boulevard, according to a media release.&nbsp; The report was of multiple suspects breaking into a building and storage container.</p><p>At the scene, KCPD officers found three people who ran.&nbsp; Two tried to get into a vehicle where an altercation occurred as officers attempted to take the two suspects into custody.&nbsp; During the altercation, one officer fired their duty weapon.</p><p>The gunfire struck the 35-year-old female in the driver's seat of the car. She was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp; Another male suspect at the vehicle was arrested.</p><p>Officers took the third suspect into custody several blocks away.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer involved shooting. KCPD is investigating the burglary.</p>

Woman burglary suspect wounded in KC officer shooting 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man arrested in Missouri for a&nbsp;deadly shooting in Wichita is now in a Kansas Jail.

On Thursday, 27-year-old Donny J. Harris of Springfield, Missouri was booked into the Sedgwick County jail, according to online jail records. He made his first court appearance and is charged with first degree murder.

Just after 8a.m. Jan. 26., police were dispatched to the&nbsp;the 900 block of East Indianapolis in Wichita&nbsp;for a reported welfare check after receiving information about a man down, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Wichita police officers and detectives conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation, working through challenging weather conditions and utilizing multiple departmental resources.

Officers from multiple WPD sections, Crime Scene Investigators,&nbsp;K-9 Mantra, and&nbsp;Flock technology&nbsp;were utilized to canvass the area, locate evidence, and develop investigative leads.&nbsp;K-9 Mantra located multiple shell casings in the snow during the search.

As a result of this coordinated effort, detectives were able to quickly identify a suspect identified as Harris and establish probable cause. An arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder.

Working in close coordination with the Springfield Police Department, Harris was located and arrested on the evening of Jan. 26, in Springfield, Missouri.&nbsp;

Harris is being held on a $500,000 bond. Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769461383611.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man arrested in Missouri for a&nbsp;deadly shooting in Wichita is now in a Kansas Jail.</p><p>On Thursday, 27-year-old Donny J. Harris of Springfield, Missouri was booked into the Sedgwick County jail, according to online jail records. He made his first court appearance and is charged with first degree murder.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770477271747.png" alt="Harris photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Harris photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just after 8a.m. Jan. 26., police were dispatched to the&nbsp;the 900 block of East Indianapolis in Wichita&nbsp;for a reported welfare check after receiving information about a man down, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.</p><p>Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.</p><p>Wichita police officers and detectives conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation, working through challenging weather conditions and utilizing multiple departmental resources.</p><p>Officers from multiple WPD sections, Crime Scene Investigators,&nbsp;K-9 Mantra, and&nbsp;Flock technology&nbsp;were utilized to canvass the area, locate evidence, and develop investigative leads.&nbsp;K-9 Mantra located multiple shell casings in the snow during the search.</p><p>As a result of this coordinated effort, detectives were able to quickly identify a suspect identified as Harris and establish probable cause. An arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder.</p><p>Working in close coordination with the Springfield Police Department, Harris was located and arrested on the evening of Jan. 26, in Springfield, Missouri.&nbsp;</p><p>Harris is being held on a $500,000 bond. Police have not released the name of the victim.</p>

Missouri man accused of murder is now in a Kansas jail

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— A suspect accused in the deadly shooting of a Dodge City man was back in court on Friday.

&nbsp;Ricardo Talavera, 41,  pleaded no contest&nbsp; involuntary manslaughter and interference with a law enforcement office in the death of 49-year-old Ruben Parga-Quintanar during a hearing in Judge Kathleen Watson's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 9a.m. August 1, officers and Wichita Fire Department crews responded to a report of a man down near the entrance to an alley in the 2400 block of North Jeanette in Wichita, according to a media release. When fire personnel arrived, they found Parga-Quintanar with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:53 a.m.

Early findings in the investigation suggested Parga-Quintanar was shot elsewhere and collapsed after fleeing on a bicycle. As the case progressed, detectives determined he was shot in the alley and then collapsed nearby.

Investigators identified Talavera as a suspect and served a search warrant at his home.&nbsp; On August 6, police arrested him and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 bond and will be sentenced in March, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754486168417.png" alt="Talavera -photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Talavera -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— A suspect accused in the deadly shooting of a Dodge City man was back in court on Friday.</p><p>&nbsp;Ricardo Talavera, 41,  pleaded no contest&nbsp; involuntary manslaughter and interference with a law enforcement office in the death of 49-year-old Ruben Parga-Quintanar during a hearing in Judge Kathleen Watson's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.</p><p>Just before 9a.m. August 1, officers and Wichita Fire Department crews responded to a report of a man down near the entrance to an alley in the 2400 block of North Jeanette in Wichita, according to a media release. When fire personnel arrived, they found Parga-Quintanar with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:53 a.m.</p><p>Early findings in the investigation suggested Parga-Quintanar was shot elsewhere and collapsed after fleeing on a bicycle. As the case progressed, detectives determined he was shot in the alley and then collapsed nearby.</p><p>Investigators identified Talavera as a suspect and served a search warrant at his home.&nbsp; On August 6, police arrested him and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 bond and will be sentenced in March, according to the district attorney's office.</p>

Suspect enters plea in death of SW Kansas man

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement are investigating a homicide after two men were shot early Saturday in north Wichita.

Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 3900 block of E. 13th Street in Wichita after receiving a gunshot detection alert, according to a media release from Wichita Police.

While officers were responding, police received a report of a walk-in shooting victim at a local hospital. Shortly afterward, two adult men arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. A 36-year-old man was pronounced dead at 3:42 a.m. A second victim, a 43-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and is expected to survive.

Preliminary information indicates the victims were at a business in the 3900 block of E. Vesta when a disturbance occurred and shots were fired. Police reported property damage in the area, but no other injuries.

<p>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement are investigating a homicide after two men were shot early Saturday in north Wichita.</p><p>Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 3900 block of E. 13th Street in Wichita after receiving a gunshot detection alert, according to a media release from Wichita Police.</p><p>While officers were responding, police received a report of a walk-in shooting victim at a local hospital. Shortly afterward, two adult men arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds. A 36-year-old man was pronounced dead at 3:42 a.m. A second victim, a 43-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and is expected to survive.</p><p>Preliminary information indicates the victims were at a business in the 3900 block of E. Vesta when a disturbance occurred and shots were fired. Police reported property damage in the area, but no other injuries.</p><p>Police have not reported an arrest.</p>

Homicide: Kansas hospital walk-in shooting victim has died

President Donald Trump's administration can continue to detain immigrants without bond, marking a major legal victory for the federal immigration agenda and countering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-judge-schiltz-immigration-dba9ee031a23602ba2f6404262496ea5">slew of recent</a>&nbsp;lower court decisions across the country that argued the practice is illegal.

A panel of judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday evening that the Department of Homeland Security's decision to deny bond hearings to immigrants arrested across the country is consistent with the constitution and federal immigration law.

Specifically, circuit judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the 2-1 majority opinion that the government correctly interpreted the Immigration and Nationality Act by asserting that “unadmitted aliens apprehended anywhere in the United States are ineligible for release on bond, regardless of how long they have resided inside the United States."

Under past administrations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-ice-trump-e1c2322c3f88c1f7d7e83c8c42109cb6">most noncitizens</a>&nbsp;with no criminal record&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-court-judges-trump-ice-229830c0779857164a832793c2a8f3e4">who were arrested away</a>&nbsp;from the border had an opportunity to request a bond hearing while their cases wound through immigration court. Historically, bond was often granted to those without criminal convictions who were not flight risks, and mandatory detention was limited to recent border crossers.

"That prior Administrations decided to use less than their full enforcement authority under" the law “does not mean they lacked the authority to do more,” Jones wrote.

The plaintiffs in the two separate cases filed last year against the Trump administration were both Mexican nationals who had both lived in the United States for over 10 years and weren't flight risks, their attorneys argued. Neither man had a criminal record, and both were jailed for months last year before a lower Texas court granted them bond in October.

The Trump White House reversed that policy in favor of mandatory detention in July, reversing almost 30 years of precedent under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

Friday's ruling also bucks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-bond-hearings-detention-trump-b863c23d6f1740e2df0be59947a087c5">a November district court decision in California</a>, which granted detained immigrants with no criminal history the opportunity to request a bond hearing and had implications for noncitizens held in detention nationwide.

Circuit Judge Dana M. Douglas wrote the lone dissent in Friday's decision.

The elected congress members who passed the Immigration and Nationality Act “would be surprised to learn it had also required the detention without bond of two million people,” Douglas wrote, adding that many of the people detained are “the spouses, mothers, fathers, and grandparents of American citizens.”

She went on to argue that the federal government was overriding the lawmaking process with DHS' new immigration detention policy that denies detained immigrants bond.

“Because I would reject the government’s invitation to rubber stamp its proposed legislation by executive fiat, I dissent,” Douglas wrote.

Douglas' opinion echoed widespread tensions between the Trump administration and federal judges around the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-judge-schiltz-immigration-dba9ee031a23602ba2f6404262496ea5">who have increasingly</a>&nbsp;accused the administration of flouting court orders.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the decision as “a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn."

“We will continue vindicating President Trump’s law and order agenda in courtrooms across the country,” Bondi wrote on the social media platform X.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770394220485.png" alt="Photo DHS" />
                        <figcaption>Photo DHS</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By SAFIYAH RIDDLE <br>Associated Press</p><p>President Donald Trump's administration can continue to detain immigrants without bond, marking a major legal victory for the federal immigration agenda and countering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-judge-schiltz-immigration-dba9ee031a23602ba2f6404262496ea5">slew of recent</a>&nbsp;lower court decisions across the country that argued the practice is illegal.</p><p>A panel of judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday evening that the Department of Homeland Security's decision to deny bond hearings to immigrants arrested across the country is consistent with the constitution and federal immigration law.</p><p>Specifically, circuit judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the 2-1 majority opinion that the government correctly interpreted the Immigration and Nationality Act by asserting that “unadmitted aliens apprehended anywhere in the United States are ineligible for release on bond, regardless of how long they have resided inside the United States."</p><p>Under past administrations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-ice-trump-e1c2322c3f88c1f7d7e83c8c42109cb6">most noncitizens</a>&nbsp;with no criminal record&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-court-judges-trump-ice-229830c0779857164a832793c2a8f3e4">who were arrested away</a>&nbsp;from the border had an opportunity to request a bond hearing while their cases wound through immigration court. Historically, bond was often granted to those without criminal convictions who were not flight risks, and mandatory detention was limited to recent border crossers.</p><p>"That prior Administrations decided to use less than their full enforcement authority under" the law “does not mean they lacked the authority to do more,” Jones wrote.</p><p>The plaintiffs in the two separate cases filed last year against the Trump administration were both Mexican nationals who had both lived in the United States for over 10 years and weren't flight risks, their attorneys argued. Neither man had a criminal record, and both were jailed for months last year before a lower Texas court granted them bond in October.</p><p>The Trump White House reversed that policy in favor of mandatory detention in July, reversing almost 30 years of precedent under both Democrat and Republican administrations.</p><p>Friday's ruling also bucks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-bond-hearings-detention-trump-b863c23d6f1740e2df0be59947a087c5">a November district court decision in California</a>, which granted detained immigrants with no criminal history the opportunity to request a bond hearing and had implications for noncitizens held in detention nationwide.</p><p>Circuit Judge Dana M. Douglas wrote the lone dissent in Friday's decision.</p><p>The elected congress members who passed the Immigration and Nationality Act “would be surprised to learn it had also required the detention without bond of two million people,” Douglas wrote, adding that many of the people detained are “the spouses, mothers, fathers, and grandparents of American citizens.”</p><p>She went on to argue that the federal government was overriding the lawmaking process with DHS' new immigration detention policy that denies detained immigrants bond.</p><p>“Because I would reject the government’s invitation to rubber stamp its proposed legislation by executive fiat, I dissent,” Douglas wrote.</p><p>Douglas' opinion echoed widespread tensions between the Trump administration and federal judges around the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-judge-schiltz-immigration-dba9ee031a23602ba2f6404262496ea5">who have increasingly</a>&nbsp;accused the administration of flouting court orders.</p><p>U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the decision as “a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn."</p><p>“We will continue vindicating President Trump’s law and order agenda in courtrooms across the country,” Bondi wrote on the social media platform X.</p>

Appeals court affirms Trump policy of jailing immigrants without bond

CHEROKEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with several local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, conducted a two-day enforcement operation this week targeting individuals who solicit minors for sex, according to a media release from the KBI.

The operation, which concluded Feb. 6, resulted in the arrest of five suspects on various charges, such as commercial sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful use of a communication facility, aggravated human trafficking, attempted aggravated indecent liberties, and electronic solicitation of a child.

The following individuals were taken into custody and booked into the Cherokee County Jail: Darin Price, 52, of Anderson, Missouri; Nicholes Reginal, 28, of Jackson, Mississippi;&nbsp; Trevor Porter, 34, of Pittsburg, Kansas; Nicolas Perez-Paxtor, 38, of Neosho, Missouri and Derek McKenney, 31, of Sarcoxie, Missouri.

The investigation was a collaborative effort to identify and apprehend predators who utilize digital platforms to prey upon underage victims. Following the arrests, case files were submitted to the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office for formal prosecution.

The KBI and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office were assisted in this operation by the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, the Ray County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770497216786.png" alt="Reginal photo Cherokee County" />
                        <figcaption>Reginal photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CHEROKEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with several local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, conducted a two-day enforcement operation this week targeting individuals who solicit minors for sex, according to a media release from the KBI.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770497248969.png" alt="Porter-photo Cherokee County" />
                        <figcaption>Porter-photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The operation, which concluded Feb. 6, resulted in the arrest of five suspects on various charges, such as commercial sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful use of a communication facility, aggravated human trafficking, attempted aggravated indecent liberties, and electronic solicitation of a child.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770497277669.png" alt="Perez-Paxtor-photo Cherokee County" />
                        <figcaption>Perez-Paxtor-photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The following individuals were taken into custody and booked into the Cherokee County Jail: Darin Price, 52, of Anderson, Missouri; Nicholes Reginal, 28, of Jackson, Mississippi;&nbsp; Trevor Porter, 34, of Pittsburg, Kansas; Nicolas Perez-Paxtor, 38, of Neosho, Missouri and Derek McKenney, 31, of Sarcoxie, Missouri.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770497184303.png" alt="Price photo Cherokee County" />
                        <figcaption>Price photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The investigation was a collaborative effort to identify and apprehend predators who utilize digital platforms to prey upon underage victims. Following the arrests, case files were submitted to the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office for formal prosecution.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770497301970.png" alt="McKenney photo Cherokee Co." />
                        <figcaption>McKenney photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The KBI and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office were assisted in this operation by the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, the Ray County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)</p>

KBI: 5 jailed after allegedly soliciting minors for sex

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged violent incident at a Kansas home.

Just before 10:30a.m. Feb. 5, sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a reported domestic disturbance in the 6600 block of SW Montara Northway, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

Upon arrival, deputies determined the adult male suspect identified as 39-year-old Stephon S. Taylor had left the residence. 

A search of the area began, utilizing K-9 units, drones, and additional personnel from law enforcement agencies. Stephon S. Taylor, 39, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department

of Corrections (SNDOC) on the requested charges of Aggravated battery; knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner with a weapon

The sheriff's department thanked the Auburn Police Department, Auburn-Washburn Unified School District 437 Police Department, Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority, Kansas Highway Patrol, Shawnee Heights Fire District and American Medical Response for their assistance.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770491531362.png" alt="Taylor photo Shawnee County" />
                        <figcaption>Taylor photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an alleged violent incident at a Kansas home.</p><p>Just before 10:30a.m. Feb. 5, sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a reported domestic disturbance in the 6600 block of SW Montara Northway, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.</p><p>Upon arrival, deputies determined the adult male suspect identified as 39-year-old Stephon S. Taylor had left the residence. </p><p>A search of the area began, utilizing K-9 units, drones, and additional personnel from law enforcement agencies. Stephon S. Taylor, 39, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department</p><p>of Corrections (SNDOC) on the requested charges of Aggravated battery; knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner with a weapon</p><p>The sheriff's department thanked the Auburn Police Department, Auburn-Washburn Unified School District 437 Police Department, Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority, Kansas Highway Patrol, Shawnee Heights Fire District and American Medical Response for their assistance.</p>

Drone, K9 help track down Kan. domestic violence suspect

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

Just after 10:30p.m. Feb. 8,&nbsp;&nbsp;a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2015 Dodge Journey for multiple alleged traffic violations on U.S. Highway 75 near 118th&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

&nbsp; The driver of the vehicle identified himself as Irving Dawayne Edwards, 26, of Topeka and the passenger was identified as Juantario Isia Roberts, 22, of Topeka.&nbsp;

During the course of the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 (PSD) alerted to the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs and narcotics.

Edwards was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested&nbsp; charges of Distribute Certain Stimulant; &lt;3.5 grams, Distribute Marijuana; 25&nbsp;-&lt; 450 grams, Distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of Marijuana; 1 prior conviction, Possession of Drug paraphernalia, Taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Driving while suspended, Driving without vehicle insurance and License plates; Unlawful display; material affecting visibility or reflectivity.

Juantario was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of Distribute Certain Stimulant; &lt;3.5 grams, Distribute Marijuana; 25&nbsp;-&lt; 450 grams, Distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of Marijuana; 1 prior conviction, Possession of Drug paraphernalia and taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770236906332.png" alt="Roberts photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Roberts photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple drug allegations.</p><p>Just after 10:30p.m. Feb. 8,&nbsp;&nbsp;a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2015 Dodge Journey for multiple alleged traffic violations on U.S. Highway 75 near 118th&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.</p><p>&nbsp; The driver of the vehicle identified himself as Irving Dawayne Edwards, 26, of Topeka and the passenger was identified as Juantario Isia Roberts, 22, of Topeka.&nbsp;</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770236928763.png" alt="Edwards photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Edwards photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>During the course of the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 (PSD) alerted to the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs and narcotics.</p><p>Edwards was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested&nbsp; charges of Distribute Certain Stimulant; &lt;3.5 grams, Distribute Marijuana; 25&nbsp;-&lt; 450 grams, Distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of Marijuana; 1 prior conviction, Possession of Drug paraphernalia, Taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Driving while suspended, Driving without vehicle insurance and License plates; Unlawful display; material affecting visibility or reflectivity.</p><p>Juantario was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of Distribute Certain Stimulant; &lt;3.5 grams, Distribute Marijuana; 25&nbsp;-&lt; 450 grams, Distribute or possess with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of Marijuana; 1 prior conviction, Possession of Drug paraphernalia and taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance</p>

Sheriff: 2 suspects accused of selling drugs in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key participant in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3424346447545a1835453d82efc6de2">the deadly 2012 attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in their deaths, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday

Bondi said in a news conference that Zubayr Al-Bakoush had landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. on Friday.

“We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” Bondi said.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him.

The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound immediately emerged as a divisive political issue as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the administration’s changing narrative about who was responsible and why.

<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-congress-united-states-government-34c68bb91bbb41fdb2f8efa210c1d2b5">A final report</a>&nbsp;by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacs. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton.

Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was “time to move on.” Other Democrats denounced the Republicans’ report as “a conspiracy theory on steroids."

On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire.

The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex.

A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cc953f1412f54cbab9b784ebecad5e9c">Ahmed Abu Khattala</a>, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A key participant in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3424346447545a1835453d82efc6de2">the deadly 2012 attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in their deaths, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIDirectorKash</a> and I worked for months to get to this moment and we weren’t going to let the moment pass no matter what time Bakoush landed. <a href="https://t.co/EiAZHWD3Z9">pic.twitter.com/EiAZHWD3Z9</a></p>&mdash; US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyPirro/status/2019868183352717685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Attorney General Pam Bondi (<a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a>): &quot;Today, I am proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/P20IIckG5H">pic.twitter.com/P20IIckG5H</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2019788530570961385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The world knows that if you kill an American citizen in an act of terrorism, <br><br>We will hunt you down. <a href="https://t.co/Is00giHrlo">pic.twitter.com/Is00giHrlo</a></p>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2019795731444285775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> announces the arrest of Zubayr Al-Bakoush, one of the key participants behind the attack at the U.S. embassy in Benghazi:<br><br>&quot;Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, &#39;What difference, at this point, does it make?&#39; Well, it makes a difference to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BWdncrVSdD">pic.twitter.com/BWdncrVSdD</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2019798741784387961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Bondi said in a news conference that Zubayr Al-Bakoush had landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. on Friday.</p><p>“We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” Bondi said.</p><p>U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him.</p><p>The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound immediately emerged as a divisive political issue as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the administration’s changing narrative about who was responsible and why.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-congress-united-states-government-34c68bb91bbb41fdb2f8efa210c1d2b5">A final report</a>&nbsp;by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacs. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton.</p><p>Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was “time to move on.” Other Democrats denounced the Republicans’ report as “a conspiracy theory on steroids."</p><p>On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire.</p><p>The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex.</p><p>A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.</p><p>A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cc953f1412f54cbab9b784ebecad5e9c">Ahmed Abu Khattala</a>, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs.</p>

🎥Militant is in custody for 2012 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador

ARLINGTON COUNTY, Virginia —On Thursday, the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department&nbsp; announced the arrest of a Maryland man following a month’s long criminal investigation, according to a media release from Arlington County police.

Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, Maryland is charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Solicitation to Commit Murder, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Wearing a Mask in Public to Conceal Identity. He was taken into custody at his residence on January 16 and later extradited to the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. on August 10, 2025, Arlington County Police were dispatched to the 3800 block of 7th Street S. for the report of a suspicious person. 

A witness reported observing a suspect, who was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, carrying a backpack and appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt, on the victim’s porch. 

The suspect subsequently approached the witness and inquired about the victim before leaving the scene. The witness then contacted police and responding officers established a perimeter and canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results. The incident was captured on home surveillance video and the suspect was subsequently identified.

During the course of the investigation, the Arlington County Police Department executed search warrants for digital records associated with the suspect. As a result of these search warrants, police recovered digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, confirmed in court records as the home of&nbsp;t  Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. 

The suspect also had information detailing locations of firearms possessed by a relative and had a guide detailing tips to prevent criminal detection. 

Additionally, the suspect had posted online about the victim and had online discussions appearing to solicit others to murder the victim. Within days of these online solicitations, the August 10 incident occurred where the suspect arrived at the victim’s address wearing a mask and gloves, possibly concealing a firearm and inquired about the victim. As a result of the investigation, detectives obtained the criminal warrants for the suspect’s arrest.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770384166701.png" alt="Demarco photo Arlington County Police" />
                        <figcaption>Demarco photo Arlington County Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>ARLINGTON COUNTY, Virginia —On Thursday, the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department&nbsp; announced the arrest of a Maryland man following a month’s long criminal investigation, according to a media release from Arlington County police.</p><p>Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, Maryland is charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Solicitation to Commit Murder, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Wearing a Mask in Public to Conceal Identity. He was taken into custody at his residence on January 16 and later extradited to the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.</p><p>At approximately 3:15 p.m. on August 10, 2025, Arlington County Police were dispatched to the 3800 block of 7th Street S. for the report of a suspicious person. </p><p>A witness reported observing a suspect, who was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, carrying a backpack and appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt, on the victim’s porch. </p><p>The suspect subsequently approached the witness and inquired about the victim before leaving the scene. The witness then contacted police and responding officers established a perimeter and canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results. The incident was captured on home surveillance video and the suspect was subsequently identified.</p><p>During the course of the investigation, the Arlington County Police Department executed search warrants for digital records associated with the suspect. As a result of these search warrants, police recovered digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, confirmed in court records as the home of&nbsp;t  Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. </p><p>The suspect also had information detailing locations of firearms possessed by a relative and had a guide detailing tips to prevent criminal detection. </p><p>Additionally, the suspect had posted online about the victim and had online discussions appearing to solicit others to murder the victim. Within days of these online solicitations, the August 10 incident occurred where the suspect arrived at the victim’s address wearing a mask and gloves, possibly concealing a firearm and inquired about the victim. As a result of the investigation, detectives obtained the criminal warrants for the suspect’s arrest.</p>

Man accused of trying to kill member of President Trump's Cabinet

MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the burglary observed on security video at the Main Street Bar and Grill in Canton have made an arrest. With the assistance of police in Salina, one of two suspects was identified, according to a media release from the McPherson County Sheriff's office. Deputies were then alerted to an address in Marquette, Kansas.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16JehWjny6/">Click here to watch the crime in progress&nbsp;</a>

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16qHhUwQnB/">&nbsp;Click here to watch another video of the crime&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

Just after 11p.m. Thursday, deputies located and arrested the suspect identified as 46-year-old Patrick Hull, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

He was booked on requested charges of Burglary and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two gaming machines were damaged with an undisclosed amount of cash and bottles of alcohol taken during the crime.

The search for the second suspect continues.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770327829408.png" alt="Image from security cameras of the alleged crime" />
                        <figcaption>Image from security cameras of the alleged crime</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the burglary observed on security video at the Main Street Bar and Grill in Canton have made an arrest. With the assistance of police in Salina, one of two suspects was identified, according to a media release from the McPherson County Sheriff's office. Deputies were then alerted to an address in Marquette, Kansas.</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16JehWjny6/">Click here to watch the crime in progress&nbsp;</a></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16qHhUwQnB/">&nbsp;Click here to watch another video of the crime&nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770390698232.png" alt="Hull photo McPherson Co." />
                        <figcaption>Hull photo McPherson Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just after 11p.m. Thursday, deputies located and arrested the suspect identified as 46-year-old Patrick Hull, according to online jail records.&nbsp;</p><p>He was booked on requested charges of Burglary and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two gaming machines were damaged with an undisclosed amount of cash and bottles of alcohol taken during the crime.</p><p>The search for the second suspect continues.</p>

One suspect who broke into Kan. bar through the ceiling is in jail

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.

Just after 4p.m. Thursday police arrested 38-year-old&nbsp;Kelli Wilson of Salina in the 400 block of E. Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

Wilson was arrested on a Pottawatomie County District Court warrant for one count of theft by threat; $1,500 or less from three businesses in 72 hours. 

This arrest stems from an original report filed in November 2025. Wilson is being held in the Pottawatomie County Jail.

<p>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.</p><p>Just after 4p.m. Thursday police arrested 38-year-old&nbsp;Kelli Wilson of Salina in the 400 block of E. Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.</p><p>Wilson was arrested on a Pottawatomie County District Court warrant for one count of theft by threat; $1,500 or less from three businesses in 72 hours. </p><p>This arrest stems from an original report filed in November 2025. Wilson is being held in the Pottawatomie County Jail.</p>

Kan. woman accused of theft from 3 businesses in 72-hours

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— A suspect accused in the deadly shooting of a Dodge City man is due back in court on Friday.

&nbsp;Ricardo Talavera, 41, will appear in Judge Kathleen Watson's courtroom for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Talavera is charged with involuntary manslaughter and interference with a law enforcement office in the death of 49-year-old Ruben Parga-Quintanar.

Judge could decide today if there is enough evidence for the case to move forward and set a date for his arraignment.

Investigators identified Talavera as a suspect and served a search warrant at his home.&nbsp; On August 6, police arrested him and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754486168417.png" alt="Talavera photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Talavera photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;— A suspect accused in the deadly shooting of a Dodge City man is due back in court on Friday.</p><p>&nbsp;Ricardo Talavera, 41, will appear in Judge Kathleen Watson's courtroom for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.</p><p>Talavera is charged with involuntary manslaughter and interference with a law enforcement office in the death of 49-year-old Ruben Parga-Quintanar.</p><p>Judge could decide today if there is enough evidence for the case to move forward and set a date for his arraignment.</p><p>Just before 9a.m. August 1, officers and Wichita Fire Department crews responded to a report of a man down near the entrance to an alley in the 2400 block of North Jeanette in Wichita, according to a media release. When fire personnel arrived, they found Parga-Quintanar with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:53 a.m.</p><p>Early findings in the investigation suggested Parga-Quintanar was shot elsewhere and collapsed after fleeing on a bicycle. As the case progressed, detectives determined he was shot in the alley and then collapsed nearby.</p><p>Investigators identified Talavera as a suspect and served a search warrant at his home.&nbsp; On August 6, police arrested him and booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 bond, according to online jail records.</p>

Preliminary hearing for suspect in murder of SW Kansas man

By SEJAL GOVINDARAO, JACQUES BILLEAUD and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

<p>By SEJAL GOVINDARAO, JACQUES BILLEAUD and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press</p><p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — “Today” show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie's</a>&nbsp;brother on Thursday renewed the family's plea for their mother's kidnapper to contact them, hours after an Arizona sheriff said investigators don't have proof&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;is alive but believe “she's still out there.”</p><p>“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said in a video posted on social media.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUZULrXkqXb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUZULrXkqXb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUZULrXkqXb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>“We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” but first the family needs to know the kidnapper has their mother, he said, echoing a statement his famous sister read the day before.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department: <a href="https://t.co/fHMq1Jx9Tw">pic.twitter.com/fHMq1Jx9Tw</a></p>&mdash; Pima County Sheriff&#39;s Department (@PimaSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/2019538101279027629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Five days into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-0d6b55fd24f54b2526fd5f8894a52ff2">desperate search</a>&nbsp;for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.</p><p>Authorities think she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home in Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said.</p><p>“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference earlier Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she’s OK.</p><h2>Demands for ransom</h2><p>Investigators said they are taking seriously notes seeking ransom that were sent to some media outlets.</p><p>It's unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn't met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie's home and an Apple watch, Janke said.</p><p>“To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said.</p><p>At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.</p><p>A note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.</p><p>“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said.</p><p>The sheriff said it’s possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, but if she was, investigators don’t know if that’s because her daughter is one of television’s most visible anchors.</p><p>Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.</p><p>A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-mom-missing-88e8731270d05e6e667730d2ed8633d3">message to her mother’s kidnapper</a>, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. There's been no response to their pleas so far.</p><h2>New timeline of Guthrie's disappearance</h2><p>Investigators gave a more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">detailed timeline</a>&nbsp;from the hours after Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night. She was eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain, the sheriff said.</p><p>About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so the doorbell company was unable to recover any footage.</p><p>Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal.</p><p>Then at 2:28 a.m. the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.</p><h2>Search enters a fifth day</h2><p>Guthrie&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-74d845b070fefe2d94cb92d655308e91">was reported missing</a>&nbsp;shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.</p><p>While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the sheriff said she has difficulty walking even short distances. She also requires daily medicine that's vital to her health, he has said.</p><p>A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.broadcastify.com/">broadcastify.com</a>.</p><p>Investigators searched in and around Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.</p><p>Authorities are bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. A day earlier, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.</p><h2>Savannah Guthrie's emotional plea</h2><p>Savannah Guthrie has hosted “Today” — NBC’s flagship morning show — for more than a decade and had been set to co-anchor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-olympics-host-nbc-mary-carillo-94c13d18ac30129cc37e6990ac2c31f1">the network’s coverage</a>&nbsp;of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics. For now, she's staying close to her mother's home.</p><p>She joined her two siblings in an emotional plea on social media Wednesday to say they're ready to talk to whoever sent the ransom notes.</p><p>“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” she said while fighting off tears.</p><p>With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her. She was flanked by Camron and their sister, Annie.</p><p>“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.</p><p>___</p><p>This story has been corrected to show that the sheriff said it’s possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, not that investigators have believed from the beginning that she was targeted.</p><p>___</p><p>Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.</p>