WASHINGTON—Three men were sentenced on July 9, 2024, after they previously pleaded guilty to felony charges related to their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to a statement from the United State's Attorney.

Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Kyle Kumer, 43, of Kansas City was sentenced to 10 months in prison,&nbsp;24 months of supervised release,&nbsp;and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alan Michael St. Onge, 36, of Brevard, North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

William “Jessie” Stover, 46, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was sentenced to six months in prison,&nbsp;36 months of supervised release,&nbsp;and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.&nbsp;

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced the three men.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, beginning at 2:42 p.m., numerous members of a mob illegally assembled on the Capitol grounds attacked members of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were lawfully engaged in the performance of their official duties defending an entrance to the U.S. Capitol on the Lower West Terrace known as the Tunnel.

The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against police on January 6th.&nbsp; Over the course of more than two hours, the mob struck police with thrown items, sprayed police with chemical irritants, pushed against the police, and stole items from the police defending the Tunnel.&nbsp;St. Onge, Kumer, and Stover were members of the mob that relentlessly pushed against police officers in the Tunnel in an attempt to breach a police line defending then entrance to the Capitol.

Court documents say that&nbsp;St. Onge&nbsp;approached the Capitol from the east before moving to the West Front. At approximately 2:12 p.m., as officers in the East Plaza were resisting the efforts of the mob to overcome the police line, St. Onge pushed against the police barricade and the police who were trying to resist the rioters’ efforts. After the police line fell on the East Front, St. Onge made his way to the West Front of the Capitol and up the Inaugural stage before arriving at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel at about 2:55 p.m.

At 3:09 p.m., St. Onge&nbsp;made his way&nbsp;further into the Tunnel and joined in with the crowd’s concerted push against the police line. Specifically, surveillance video footage captured images of St. Onge pushing, with great effort, against other rioters in an attempt to collectively breach the police line. At approximately 3:18 p.m., the police inside the Tunnel gained momentum and successfully expelled the rioters, including St. Onge, from the area.

St. Onge&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on June 16, 2023, in Brevard, North Carolina.&nbsp;

Kyle Kumer, accompanied by his elderly mother, made his way up to the Lower West Terrace and onto the Inaugural Stage at about the same time. As the crowd began to push in unison against the police line, at 3:08 p.m., Kumer turned his body so that his back was pushing up against the rioters between him and the police and began to push against them.&nbsp;

As he pushed, Kumer called out, “Let’s go! C’mon! Let’s go!” to the rioters around them to encourage them to join the push against the police.&nbsp; At 3:11 p.m., rioters began another group push in the Tunnel against the police, and Kumer joined in again. This group push effort caused an MPD officer to be crushed between the crowd and the door.&nbsp;At 3:15 p.m., numerous rioters left the Tunnel, leaving ample&nbsp;open&nbsp;space for Kumer and his mother&nbsp;to&nbsp;also&nbsp;leave, but they remained.&nbsp;At 3:16 p.m., rioters, including Kumer, made another group push effort against the police line. By 3:18 p.m., the police inside the Tunnel succeeded in pushing&nbsp;all of&nbsp;the rioters back to the entrance. Kumer and his mother were two of the last rioters to&nbsp;be cleared&nbsp;from inside the Tunnel.&nbsp;

Kumer&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on June 21, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;

William Stover arrived at the Tunnel entrance at about 2:53 p.m. and joined others in the melee to push against the police line. Stover, along with the other rioters, was eventually expelled from the Tunnel entrance by police. Stover later returned with others to push against police, this time grabbing onto the side of the Tunnel entrance to leverage his weight and increase his force. Stover then reached over the heads of the other rioters and struck the helmet of a police officer.

Moments later, Stover received a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield, which he then handed to another rioter who climbed up behind him. That rioter took the shield from Stover and used it to attack police. Stover remained at the entrance to the Tunnel as the rioters fought police for more than an hour and&nbsp;was eventually pushed away after being sprayed with chemical irritants. &nbsp;

Stover&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on July 10, 2023, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.&nbsp;

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.&nbsp;Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of North Carolina, the Western District of Missouri, and the Western District of Kentucky.

This case was investigated by the&nbsp;FBI’s Charlotte, Louisville, Kansas City, and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the&nbsp;U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 42 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,470 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706826492286.png" alt="Kyke Kumer- image from the Nov. release of Jan 6 videos from House Speaker Mike Johnson&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kyke Kumer- image from the Nov. release of Jan 6 videos from House Speaker Mike Johnson&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON—Three men were sentenced on July 9, 2024, after they previously pleaded guilty to felony charges related to their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to a statement from the United State's Attorney.Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.Kyle Kumer, 43, of Kansas City was sentenced to 10 months in prison,&nbsp;24 months of supervised release,&nbsp;and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alan Michael St. Onge, 36, of Brevard, North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.William “Jessie” Stover, 46, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was sentenced to six months in prison,&nbsp;36 months of supervised release,&nbsp;and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.&nbsp;U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced the three men.According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, beginning at 2:42 p.m., numerous members of a mob illegally assembled on the Capitol grounds attacked members of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were lawfully engaged in the performance of their official duties defending an entrance to the U.S. Capitol on the Lower West Terrace known as the Tunnel.The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against police on January 6th.&nbsp; Over the course of more than two hours, the mob struck police with thrown items, sprayed police with chemical irritants, pushed against the police, and stole items from the police defending the Tunnel.&nbsp;St. Onge, Kumer, and Stover were members of the mob that relentlessly pushed against police officers in the Tunnel in an attempt to breach a police line defending then entrance to the Capitol.Court documents say that&nbsp;St. Onge&nbsp;approached the Capitol from the east before moving to the West Front. At approximately 2:12 p.m., as officers in the East Plaza were resisting the efforts of the mob to overcome the police line, St. Onge pushed against the police barricade and the police who were trying to resist the rioters’ efforts. After the police line fell on the East Front, St. Onge made his way to the West Front of the Capitol and up the Inaugural stage before arriving at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel at about 2:55 p.m.At 3:09 p.m., St. Onge&nbsp;made his way&nbsp;further into the Tunnel and joined in with the crowd’s concerted push against the police line. Specifically, surveillance video footage captured images of St. Onge pushing, with great effort, against other rioters in an attempt to collectively breach the police line. At approximately 3:18 p.m., the police inside the Tunnel gained momentum and successfully expelled the rioters, including St. Onge, from the area.St. Onge&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on June 16, 2023, in Brevard, North Carolina.&nbsp;Kyle Kumer, accompanied by his elderly mother, made his way up to the Lower West Terrace and onto the Inaugural Stage at about the same time. As the crowd began to push in unison against the police line, at 3:08 p.m., Kumer turned his body so that his back was pushing up against the rioters between him and the police and began to push against them.&nbsp;As he pushed, Kumer called out, “Let’s go! C’mon! Let’s go!” to the rioters around them to encourage them to join the push against the police.&nbsp; At 3:11 p.m., rioters began another group push in the Tunnel against the police, and Kumer joined in again. This group push effort caused an MPD officer to be crushed between the crowd and the door.&nbsp;At 3:15 p.m., numerous rioters left the Tunnel, leaving ample&nbsp;open&nbsp;space for Kumer and his mother&nbsp;to&nbsp;also&nbsp;leave, but they remained.&nbsp;At 3:16 p.m., rioters, including Kumer, made another group push effort against the police line. By 3:18 p.m., the police inside the Tunnel succeeded in pushing&nbsp;all of&nbsp;the rioters back to the entrance. Kumer and his mother were two of the last rioters to&nbsp;be cleared&nbsp;from inside the Tunnel.&nbsp;Kumer&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on June 21, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;William Stover arrived at the Tunnel entrance at about 2:53 p.m. and joined others in the melee to push against the police line. Stover, along with the other rioters, was eventually expelled from the Tunnel entrance by police. Stover later returned with others to push against police, this time grabbing onto the side of the Tunnel entrance to leverage his weight and increase his force. Stover then reached over the heads of the other rioters and struck the helmet of a police officer.Moments later, Stover received a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield, which he then handed to another rioter who climbed up behind him. That rioter took the shield from Stover and used it to attack police. Stover remained at the entrance to the Tunnel as the rioters fought police for more than an hour and&nbsp;was eventually pushed away after being sprayed with chemical irritants. &nbsp;Stover&nbsp;was arrested&nbsp;on July 10, 2023, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.&nbsp;This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.&nbsp;Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of North Carolina, the Western District of Missouri, and the Western District of Kentucky.This case was investigated by the&nbsp;FBI’s Charlotte, Louisville, Kansas City, and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the&nbsp;U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.In the 42 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,470 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Prison for KC man who took elderly mom to Capitol on Jan. 6 

BUTLER COUNTY —For the last several weeks a man has been making phone calls while representing himself as a member of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, according to Undersheriff&nbsp;Daimon Cundiff.

Last week, the suspect used a retired Lieutenant’s name and has also&nbsp; been using the name of a Butler County Patrol Captain. He has been successful in in getting people to send money in the form of bitcoin by using threats of arrest and has been known to be very aggressive over the phone. 

Cundiff reminded, "the Butler County Sheriff’s Office will never call you on the phone to collect money for fines, court fees, etc."

"The scammer has been able to spoof our Sheriff’s Office main line of 316-322-4254 so the call may appear to come from our office.&nbsp; We would like to alert the public to this growing scam and remind them to not give money over the phone to anyone without verification of identity."

BUTLER COUNTY —For the last several weeks a man has been making phone calls while representing himself as a member of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, according to Undersheriff&nbsp;Daimon Cundiff.Last week, the suspect used a retired Lieutenant’s name and has also&nbsp; been using the name of a Butler County Patrol Captain. He has been successful in in getting people to send money in the form of bitcoin by using threats of arrest and has been known to be very aggressive over the phone. Cundiff reminded, "the Butler County Sheriff’s Office will never call you on the phone to collect money for fines, court fees, etc.""The scammer has been able to spoof our Sheriff’s Office main line of 316-322-4254 so the call may appear to come from our office.&nbsp; We would like to alert the public to this growing scam and remind them to not give money over the phone to anyone without verification of identity."

Sheriff: Kansans sending bitcoin to scam caller

KANSAS CITY (AP)—A Missouri man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-arrests-kidnapping-missouri-fb3dd5739aaa2a2d037f858163adb322">keeping a woman hidden in his basement</a>&nbsp;while repeatedly sexually assaulting her was indicted Tuesday for allegedly murdering another woman.

Clay County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said Timothy M. Haslett was charged with murder in connection with 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale’s death, adding that she was killed “by an act of homicidal violence.” He said her remains showed impact wounds consistent with a gunshot.

Haslett, of Excelsior Springs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indictments-child-endangerment-missouri-crime-kidnapping-e666d09d04a08170ca843eb6863a080e">previously was indicted</a>&nbsp;on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.

He is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on $5 million bond.

Haslett’s public defender, Tiffany Leuty, did not immediately return an Associated Press call and email seeking comment Tuesday.

Police arrested Haslett in October 2022 after a woman told law enforcement that she had escaped from weeks of torture in his locked basement, according to a probable cause statement. She fled to a neighbor's house wearing a trash bag, a padlocked collar around her neck, and duct tape.

The survivor said Haslett had offered her money, and she agreed to go with him to his home. Once she was in his pickup truck, the woman told law enforcement that he held a gun to her, raped her and forced her to take narcotics.

He then took her to his basement, restrained her arms and legs, and raped, whipped, tortured and choked her every day for weeks, according to the probable cause statement. She escaped after slipping out of the chains while she believed he was taking his child to school.

The woman who survived also told authorities that Haslett had described killing two other women he previously kidnapped: one by suffocating her with a gas mask, and another who died after violent sexual torture.

He told her “if she did not listen to him, he would suffocate her and put her in a barrel like the rest of 'them,” according to the probable cause statement.

Thompson had said law enforcement officers followed more than 100 leads and spent more than 1,200 hours on the case, including searching for Crosdale and posting a missing person billboard with her photo in Kansas City.

Police made progress after kayakers in June 2023 found a blue, 30-gallon barrel with a skeleton inside while camping off the Missouri River in Saline County, according to police.

The remains were identified as Crosdale in July 2023, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article277830363.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.

The charges filed Tuesday are based on the evidence authorities currently have, Thompson said. He said the investigation is ongoing, and he urged anyone with information to come forward.

“Today’s indictment represents the next step in our pursuit of justice for the victims, the families and our community,” he said. “The physical, psychological and sexual torture described by the defendant’s surviving victim is brutal and barbaric.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665352038142.png" alt="Haslett-photo Clay County" />
 <figcaption>Haslett-photo Clay County</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUMMER BALLENTINE&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP)—A Missouri man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-arrests-kidnapping-missouri-fb3dd5739aaa2a2d037f858163adb322">keeping a woman hidden in his basement</a>&nbsp;while repeatedly sexually assaulting her was indicted Tuesday for allegedly murdering another woman.Clay County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said Timothy M. Haslett was charged with murder in connection with 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale’s death, adding that she was killed “by an act of homicidal violence.” He said her remains showed impact wounds consistent with a gunshot.Haslett, of Excelsior Springs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indictments-child-endangerment-missouri-crime-kidnapping-e666d09d04a08170ca843eb6863a080e">previously was indicted</a>&nbsp;on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.He is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on $5 million bond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720608172237.png" alt="Charges listed against Haslett as listed by the Clay County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Charges listed against Haslett as listed by the Clay County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Haslett’s public defender, Tiffany Leuty, did not immediately return an Associated Press call and email seeking comment Tuesday.Police arrested Haslett in October 2022 after a woman told law enforcement that she had escaped from weeks of torture in his locked basement, according to a probable cause statement. She fled to a neighbor's house wearing a trash bag, a padlocked collar around her neck, and duct tape.The survivor said Haslett had offered her money, and she agreed to go with him to his home. Once she was in his pickup truck, the woman told law enforcement that he held a gun to her, raped her and forced her to take narcotics.He then took her to his basement, restrained her arms and legs, and raped, whipped, tortured and choked her every day for weeks, according to the probable cause statement. She escaped after slipping out of the chains while she believed he was taking his child to school.The woman who survived also told authorities that Haslett had described killing two other women he previously kidnapped: one by suffocating her with a gas mask, and another who died after violent sexual torture.He told her “if she did not listen to him, he would suffocate her and put her in a barrel like the rest of 'them,” according to the probable cause statement.Thompson had said law enforcement officers followed more than 100 leads and spent more than 1,200 hours on the case, including searching for Crosdale and posting a missing person billboard with her photo in Kansas City.Police made progress after kayakers in June 2023 found a blue, 30-gallon barrel with a skeleton inside while camping off the Missouri River in Saline County, according to police.The remains were identified as Crosdale in July 2023, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article277830363.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.The charges filed Tuesday are based on the evidence authorities currently have, Thompson said. He said the investigation is ongoing, and he urged anyone with information to come forward.“Today’s indictment represents the next step in our pursuit of justice for the victims, the families and our community,” he said. “The physical, psychological and sexual torture described by the defendant’s surviving victim is brutal and barbaric.”

Man accused of imprisoning, torturing a woman indicted for murder

KANSAS CITY (AP) — An appellate court has ordered the release of a Missouri woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years in prison, but the state attorney general is still trying to keep her behind bars as the case is reviewed.

Monday's ruling by a panel of appeals court judges comes after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-killing-3cb4c9ae74b2e95cb076636d52453228">ruled that Sandra Hemme's</a>&nbsp;attorneys had established “clear and convincing evidence" of “actual innocence." Judge Ryan Horsman said on June 14 that she must be freed within 30 days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-killing-82e6f4b98905df1386352a33ac82cf14">unless prosecutors decide to retry her</a>.

The appeals court granted Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's request to review Horsman's decision, but told Horsman meanwhile to establish her bail terms and set her free.

The attorney general's office, which almost always objects to wrongful conviction claims, then asked the appellate court to reconsider, saying the court didn't give them enough time to argue against her release. Bailey's office also argued that Hemme was sentenced decades ago to 12 years for violence in prison, and she would start serving that penalty now. Her attorneys responded Tuesday that keeping her incarcerated any longer would be a “draconian outcome.”

Hemme, now 64, has been serving a life sentence at a prison northeast of Kansas City after she was twice convicted of murder in the death of library worker Patricia Jeschke. She's now the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to her legal team at the Innocence Project.

<a href="https://innocenceproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Hemme-Judgment-23LVCC00008.pdf">After an extensive review,</a>&nbsp;Horsman found that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a “malleable mental state” when investigators repeatedly questioned her in a psychiatric hospital. Police ignored evidence pointing to a discredited fellow officer who died in 2015, and the prosecution wasn't told about FBI results that could have cleared her, so it was never disclosed before her trials.

The prosecutor at her trial agreed, four decades later, that nothing linked her to the crime other than her confession, which followed multiple contradictory statements, the judge noted.

Her attorneys described her ultimate confession in a court filing as “often monosyllabic responses to leading questions.”

“She is the victim of a manifest injustice,” Horsman concluded in his 118-page ruling. "This Court finds that the totality of the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence.”

But Bailey then sought a&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/In%20part,%20he%20didn't%20want%20her%20released%20on%20bond%20while%20the%20litigation%20plays%20out.">delay</a>&nbsp;in Hemme's release to allow an appellate court review, saying she represents a safety risk to herself or others, citing a 1990s attack on a prison worker and statements she made decades ago about enjoying violence, and arguing that the evidence she presented is not “newly discovered,” so “Hemme did not meet the actual innocence standard as a matter of law."

The Buchanan County prosecutor's office, which tried the case, didn't respond to requests for comment.

Hemme was arrested weeks after the death of Jeschke, a 31-year-old library worker who lived in St. Joseph, Missouri. After Jeschke missed work on Nov. 13, 1980, her worried mother climbed through an apartment window and discovered her daughter’s nude body on the floor, surrounded by blood, with her hands tied behind her back and a telephone cord and a pair of pantyhose wrapped around her throat. A knife was under her head.

These and other details were released to the media by the St. Joseph police chief, Robert Hayes, as the crime prompted a massive investigation.

Meanwhile, the department took only a cursory look at Michael Holman, a since discredited St. Joseph police officer who was being investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries, and ended that investigation after evidence cast doubt on his alibi. Holman's plea deal included a promise not to prosecute him for any other “criminal matters now under investigation.” He died in 2015, according to the judge's finding of facts.

Hemme wasn't on anyone's radar until she showed up more than two weeks after the killing at the home of a nurse who once treated her, carrying a knife and refusing to leave. Police took her back to St. Joseph’s Hospital, the latest in a string of hospitalizations that began when she started hearing voices at the age of 12, and she was heavily sedated.

It turned out that Hemme had been discharged from the hospital and hitchhiked out of town hours before Jeschke was last seen alive. She showed up that evening at her parents home, more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the east.

Police interviewed the initial driver who provided her alibi, but this wasn't shared with the jury, the judge found.

Investigators began interrogating her as the psychiatric hospital treated her with antipsychotic drugs that triggered involuntary muscle spasms. She complained that her eyes were rolling back in her head. Detectives said Hemme seemed “mentally confused” and not fully able to comprehend their questions, her attorneys argued.

Hemme ultimately pleaded guilty to murder to avoid the death penalty, and after her plea was thrown out on appeal, she was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial. The prosecutor told Horsman that police never shared exculpatory evidence, including FBI tests that ruled out any connection between Hemme and crime scene evidence.

Police also didn't share key evidence pointing to their fellow officer, even though his pickup truck was seen outside the victim's apartment, he tried to use her credit card and her earrings were found in his home.

When Holman couldn't be ruled out as the source of a palm print detected on a TV antenna cable found next to the victim’s body, the FBI asked for clearer prints. Police, however, didn't follow up. An FBI report also found that a hair found on the victim’s bedsheet had “microscopic characteristics similar to Holman’s head hair samples and he could not be eliminated as the source.”

Jurors never heard these details because the police never shared them with prosecutors, the judge found.

“This Court finds that the evidence shows that Ms. Hemme’s statements to police are so unreliable and that the evidence pointing to Michael Holman as the perpetrator of the crime (is) so objective and probative that no reasonable juror would find Ms. Hemme guilty," Horsman concluded.

The judge also noted how police had showed Hemme crime scene photos and other details that a prosecutor later falsely told jurors only the killer would know. Chief Hayes — who died in 2010 after serving time for involuntary manslaughter — also was unusually involved, the judge noted, participating in questioning the victim's father as he described buying his daughter a pair of gold horseshoe-shaped earrings.

That those earrings were found in Holman's home is another fact the jury never heard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687623288901.png" alt="Sandra Hemme-photo courtesy The Innocence Project" />
 <figcaption>Sandra Hemme-photo courtesy The Innocence Project</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) — An appellate court has ordered the release of a Missouri woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years in prison, but the state attorney general is still trying to keep her behind bars as the case is reviewed.Monday's ruling by a panel of appeals court judges comes after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-killing-3cb4c9ae74b2e95cb076636d52453228">ruled that Sandra Hemme's</a>&nbsp;attorneys had established “clear and convincing evidence" of “actual innocence." Judge Ryan Horsman said on June 14 that she must be freed within 30 days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-killing-82e6f4b98905df1386352a33ac82cf14">unless prosecutors decide to retry her</a>.The appeals court granted Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's request to review Horsman's decision, but told Horsman meanwhile to establish her bail terms and set her free.The attorney general's office, which almost always objects to wrongful conviction claims, then asked the appellate court to reconsider, saying the court didn't give them enough time to argue against her release. Bailey's office also argued that Hemme was sentenced decades ago to 12 years for violence in prison, and she would start serving that penalty now. Her attorneys responded Tuesday that keeping her incarcerated any longer would be a “draconian outcome.”Hemme, now 64, has been serving a life sentence at a prison northeast of Kansas City after she was twice convicted of murder in the death of library worker Patricia Jeschke. She's now the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to her legal team at the Innocence Project.<a href="https://innocenceproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Hemme-Judgment-23LVCC00008.pdf">After an extensive review,</a>&nbsp;Horsman found that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a “malleable mental state” when investigators repeatedly questioned her in a psychiatric hospital. Police ignored evidence pointing to a discredited fellow officer who died in 2015, and the prosecution wasn't told about FBI results that could have cleared her, so it was never disclosed before her trials.The prosecutor at her trial agreed, four decades later, that nothing linked her to the crime other than her confession, which followed multiple contradictory statements, the judge noted.Her attorneys described her ultimate confession in a court filing as “often monosyllabic responses to leading questions.”“She is the victim of a manifest injustice,” Horsman concluded in his 118-page ruling. "This Court finds that the totality of the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence.”But Bailey then sought a&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/In%20part,%20he%20didn't%20want%20her%20released%20on%20bond%20while%20the%20litigation%20plays%20out.">delay</a>&nbsp;in Hemme's release to allow an appellate court review, saying she represents a safety risk to herself or others, citing a 1990s attack on a prison worker and statements she made decades ago about enjoying violence, and arguing that the evidence she presented is not “newly discovered,” so “Hemme did not meet the actual innocence standard as a matter of law."The Buchanan County prosecutor's office, which tried the case, didn't respond to requests for comment.Hemme was arrested weeks after the death of Jeschke, a 31-year-old library worker who lived in St. Joseph, Missouri. After Jeschke missed work on Nov. 13, 1980, her worried mother climbed through an apartment window and discovered her daughter’s nude body on the floor, surrounded by blood, with her hands tied behind her back and a telephone cord and a pair of pantyhose wrapped around her throat. A knife was under her head.These and other details were released to the media by the St. Joseph police chief, Robert Hayes, as the crime prompted a massive investigation.Meanwhile, the department took only a cursory look at Michael Holman, a since discredited St. Joseph police officer who was being investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries, and ended that investigation after evidence cast doubt on his alibi. Holman's plea deal included a promise not to prosecute him for any other “criminal matters now under investigation.” He died in 2015, according to the judge's finding of facts.Hemme wasn't on anyone's radar until she showed up more than two weeks after the killing at the home of a nurse who once treated her, carrying a knife and refusing to leave. Police took her back to St. Joseph’s Hospital, the latest in a string of hospitalizations that began when she started hearing voices at the age of 12, and she was heavily sedated.It turned out that Hemme had been discharged from the hospital and hitchhiked out of town hours before Jeschke was last seen alive. She showed up that evening at her parents home, more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the east.Police interviewed the initial driver who provided her alibi, but this wasn't shared with the jury, the judge found.Investigators began interrogating her as the psychiatric hospital treated her with antipsychotic drugs that triggered involuntary muscle spasms. She complained that her eyes were rolling back in her head. Detectives said Hemme seemed “mentally confused” and not fully able to comprehend their questions, her attorneys argued.Hemme ultimately pleaded guilty to murder to avoid the death penalty, and after her plea was thrown out on appeal, she was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial. The prosecutor told Horsman that police never shared exculpatory evidence, including FBI tests that ruled out any connection between Hemme and crime scene evidence.Police also didn't share key evidence pointing to their fellow officer, even though his pickup truck was seen outside the victim's apartment, he tried to use her credit card and her earrings were found in his home.When Holman couldn't be ruled out as the source of a palm print detected on a TV antenna cable found next to the victim’s body, the FBI asked for clearer prints. Police, however, didn't follow up. An FBI report also found that a hair found on the victim’s bedsheet had “microscopic characteristics similar to Holman’s head hair samples and he could not be eliminated as the source.”Jurors never heard these details because the police never shared them with prosecutors, the judge found.“This Court finds that the evidence shows that Ms. Hemme’s statements to police are so unreliable and that the evidence pointing to Michael Holman as the perpetrator of the crime (is) so objective and probative that no reasonable juror would find Ms. Hemme guilty," Horsman concluded.The judge also noted how police had showed Hemme crime scene photos and other details that a prosecutor later falsely told jurors only the killer would know. Chief Hayes — who died in 2010 after serving time for involuntary manslaughter — also was unusually involved, the judge noted, participating in questioning the victim's father as he described buying his daughter a pair of gold horseshoe-shaped earrings.That those earrings were found in Holman's home is another fact the jury never heard.

Court orders release of woman whose murder conviction was reversed

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 9:30p.m. July 7,&nbsp;a police officer in the city of Hoyt conducted a traffic stop on 2000 Ford Econoline van for various traffic infractions, near the intersection of 1st&nbsp;Street and Eastern Ave. in the city of Hoyt, according to Police Chief Dan Wentling.

The driver of the van, David Eugene Savard, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with a Law Enforcement Officer, Identity Theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, driving while suspended, transporting an open container, illegal registration, and no proof of insurance.

A passenger in the van, Julieanna Dean Corbett, 23, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of THC, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.

Another passenger in the van, Nathan Paul Leonard, 24, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for transporting an open container. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrests.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720433678524.png" alt="Savard photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Savard photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 9:30p.m. July 7,&nbsp;a police officer in the city of Hoyt conducted a traffic stop on 2000 Ford Econoline van for various traffic infractions, near the intersection of 1st&nbsp;Street and Eastern Ave. in the city of Hoyt, according to Police Chief Dan Wentling.The driver of the van, David Eugene Savard, 36, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with a Law Enforcement Officer, Identity Theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, driving while suspended, transporting an open container, illegal registration, and no proof of insurance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720433718697.png" alt="Corbett photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Corbett photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A passenger in the van, Julieanna Dean Corbett, 23, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of THC, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720433781363.png" alt="Leonard-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Leonard-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Another passenger in the van, Nathan Paul Leonard, 24, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for transporting an open container. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrests.

3 jailed in Kansas for drinking and driving, transporting drugs

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man and woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

On Monday evening, a Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Officer conducted a lawful traffic stop on a Buick with an alleged expired tag near the Alma exit on Interstate 70, according to a media release.

&nbsp;The driver, 36-year-old Pierce Vogler of Topeka, was placed under arrest and taken into custody without incident on a requested charge of a suspended drivers license. 

A passenger, 39-year-old Ashley Goforth of Topeka was briefly detained and released upon confirmation of an active, yet non-extraditable warrant out of Topeka. 

A short time later,&nbsp; Goforth was arrested and taken into custody without incident when a lawful search of her property within the vehicle revealed what is alleged to be 10 grams of Methamphetamine and associated narcotics paraphernalia. 

Vogler is being held, pending bond, on requested charges of driving while suspended. Ms. Goforth is being held on requested charges of distribution of certain narcotic or stimulant (Methamphetamine), possession of certain narcotic or stimulant (Methamphetamine), not having a drug tax stamp &amp; unlawful possession of narcotics paraphernalia.&nbsp;

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man and woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.On Monday evening, a Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Officer conducted a lawful traffic stop on a Buick with an alleged expired tag near the Alma exit on Interstate 70, according to a media release.&nbsp;The driver, 36-year-old Pierce Vogler of Topeka, was placed under arrest and taken into custody without incident on a requested charge of a suspended drivers license. A passenger, 39-year-old Ashley Goforth of Topeka was briefly detained and released upon confirmation of an active, yet non-extraditable warrant out of Topeka. A short time later,&nbsp; Goforth was arrested and taken into custody without incident when a lawful search of her property within the vehicle revealed what is alleged to be 10 grams of Methamphetamine and associated narcotics paraphernalia. Vogler is being held, pending bond, on requested charges of driving while suspended. Ms. Goforth is being held on requested charges of distribution of certain narcotic or stimulant (Methamphetamine), possession of certain narcotic or stimulant (Methamphetamine), not having a drug tax stamp &amp; unlawful possession of narcotics paraphernalia.&nbsp;

2 jailed in Wabaunsee Co. after 1-70 traffic stop

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide in Oklahoma have captured a suspect in Kansas.

On Monday, police in Wichita arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=749367">38-year-old Thomas Conway</a> on an active warrant on requested charges including possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, maintaining a dwelling for keeping or selling a controlled dangerous substance and unlawful use of a police scanner.

Just before 1 a.m. Monday, the Bartlesville Police Department dispatch center received a call about a gunshot in the 1400 block of West Hensley in Bartlesville, according to a media release.

First responders found 38-year old Alexander Daugherty lying in the alley and began life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived. EMS transported Daugherty to the hospital, where he died.

Bartlesville Police are working with Wichita Police as they continue to investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720519929237.png" alt="Conway photo Bartlesville Police" />
 <figcaption>Conway photo Bartlesville Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide in Oklahoma have captured a suspect in Kansas.On Monday, police in Wichita arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=749367">38-year-old Thomas Conway</a> on an active warrant on requested charges including possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, maintaining a dwelling for keeping or selling a controlled dangerous substance and unlawful use of a police scanner.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720523026154.png" alt="Conway photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Conway photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1 a.m. Monday, the Bartlesville Police Department dispatch center received a call about a gunshot in the 1400 block of West Hensley in Bartlesville, according to a media release.First responders found 38-year old Alexander Daugherty lying in the alley and began life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived. EMS transported Daugherty to the hospital, where he died.Bartlesville Police are working with Wichita Police as they continue to investigate.

Oklahoma murder suspect captured in Kansas 

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316459572.png" alt="Jauch photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jauch photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Colo. woman was transporting meth in Kansas

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack on a woman and have made an arrest.

Just after 7p.m. July 6, police were called&nbsp;to a residence in the 1200 block of Cloud Circle in Salina where they met a 21-year-old woman with blood stains on her shirt and a bloody nose, according Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

She told officers that a man attacked her and threatened to kill her.

"She indicated that while at the residence, she got into a disturbance with 20-year-old Christian Lasso Olivas,"

According to Feldman, Olivas became upset with the victim and began yelling at her. He then got on top of her and began strangling her. He kept telling her that he was going to kill her and her family.

Feldman said the victim was able to push Olivas off of her, but he then dragged her into another room and pushed her onto the bed. There, he allegedly continued the verbal assault and began striking her in the face.

The victim attempted to get away from him — he then put a pillow on top of her head and pushed her into the bed, according to Feldman.

 "As she was bleeding, she was able to ask if she could clean up the blood, he said no. She tried to get away from him but was able to keep her in the room. She then was able to get away into the kitchen where she grabbed a knife to protect herself.

Lasso Olivas had possession of the victim's phone, so the victim demanded that he return the phone to her, which he refused. He allegedly threatened to kill her again if she called the police.

Feldman said Olivas then reached for the victim, and she slashed his hand with the knife. This caused Olivas to drop the victim's phone, allowing her to call 9-1-1 for assistance.

"Officers were able to take him into custody without incident," Feldman said.

EMS transported the victim to Salina Regional Health Center to care for her injuries. The cut on Olivas' hand did not require medical attention.

&nbsp;Olivas is being held in the Saline County jail on requested charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter,&nbsp; aggravated domestic battery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal threat, domestic battery and criminal deprivation of property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720357277324.jpeg" alt="Christian Ivan&nbsp;Lasso Olivas -photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Christian Ivan&nbsp;Lasso Olivas -photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack on a woman and have made an arrest.Just after 7p.m. July 6, police were called&nbsp;to a residence in the 1200 block of Cloud Circle in Salina where they met a 21-year-old woman with blood stains on her shirt and a bloody nose, according Salina Police Captain James Feldman.She told officers that a man attacked her and threatened to kill her."She indicated that while at the residence, she got into a disturbance with 20-year-old Christian Lasso Olivas,"According to Feldman, Olivas became upset with the victim and began yelling at her. He then got on top of her and began strangling her. He kept telling her that he was going to kill her and her family.Feldman said the victim was able to push Olivas off of her, but he then dragged her into another room and pushed her onto the bed. There, he allegedly continued the verbal assault and began striking her in the face.The victim attempted to get away from him — he then put a pillow on top of her head and pushed her into the bed, according to Feldman. "As she was bleeding, she was able to ask if she could clean up the blood, he said no. She tried to get away from him but was able to keep her in the room. She then was able to get away into the kitchen where she grabbed a knife to protect herself.Lasso Olivas had possession of the victim's phone, so the victim demanded that he return the phone to her, which he refused. He allegedly threatened to kill her again if she called the police.Feldman said Olivas then reached for the victim, and she slashed his hand with the knife. This caused Olivas to drop the victim's phone, allowing her to call 9-1-1 for assistance."Officers were able to take him into custody without incident," Feldman said.EMS transported the victim to Salina Regional Health Center to care for her injuries. The cut on Olivas' hand did not require medical attention.&nbsp;Olivas is being held in the Saline County jail on requested charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter,&nbsp; aggravated domestic battery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal threat, domestic battery and criminal deprivation of property.

Kan. suspect jailed after alleged violent attack on a woman

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly 4th of July shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 32-year-old Cortez Caples.

Just before 3:00pm Thursday, police responded to a shooting in the 2200 block of E. 69th Terrace, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders located Caples unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a home.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

An investigation determined Caples had an interaction with one or more unknown suspects that resulted in gunfire.

Police have not reported an arrest or released suspect information.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720133624393.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly 4th of July shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 32-year-old Cortez Caples. Just before 3:00pm Thursday, police responded to a shooting in the 2200 block of E. 69th Terrace, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720133597687.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located Caples unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;An investigation determined Caples had an interaction with one or more unknown suspects that resulted in gunfire.Police have not reported an arrest or released suspect information.&nbsp;

KCPD IDs victim in Fourth of July shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; - A registered Kansas sex offender is going back to prison.

On July 1, 30-year-old Jeffrey Elam was sentenced to&nbsp;19 years in prison for a violent knife attack on a woman in Wichita in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

Just after 11:30p.m. November 28, 2021&nbsp; police responded to reports of a stabbing in the 100 block of North St. Francis in Wichita. When officers arrived, they located a 22-year-old woman with a stab wound to her abdomen.

EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was walking to her vehicle and was approached and stabbed by a suspect later identified as Elam, who fled northbound through the alley. Police released a security camera video of him and made an arrest the following night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In May, Elam was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery for the attack.

Elam has previous convictions for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and is a registered Kansas sex offender, according to the KBI&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/registeredoffender/OffenderDetails.aspx?Display=Main&amp;Id=28419">offender registry</a>. The&nbsp;crimes occurred in Wichita in 2012 and 2013 and included a 5-year-old victim.&nbsp; Elam is now also required to register as a violent offender, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637681991929.png" alt="Elam photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Elam photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; - A registered Kansas sex offender is going back to prison.On July 1, 30-year-old Jeffrey Elam was sentenced to&nbsp;19 years in prison for a violent knife attack on a woman in Wichita in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.Just after 11:30p.m. November 28, 2021&nbsp; police responded to reports of a stabbing in the 100 block of North St. Francis in Wichita. When officers arrived, they located a 22-year-old woman with a stab wound to her abdomen.EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was walking to her vehicle and was approached and stabbed by a suspect later identified as Elam, who fled northbound through the alley. Police released a security camera video of him and made an arrest the following night.&nbsp;&nbsp;In May, Elam was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery for the attack.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720037388052.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Elam has previous convictions for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and is a registered Kansas sex offender, according to the KBI&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/registeredoffender/OffenderDetails.aspx?Display=Main&amp;Id=28419">offender registry</a>. The&nbsp;crimes occurred in Wichita in 2012 and 2013 and included a 5-year-old victim.&nbsp; Elam is now also required to register as a violent offender, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas sex offender going to prison for knife attack on woman

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect after a 3-county chase in a stolen vehicle.

Just after 4a.m. Tuesday, sheriff's deputies, located a possible stolen black SUV at West 6th Avenue and Prairie Street in Emporia, according to Police&nbsp;Sgt. Zachary M. Shafer.

&nbsp; Deputies attempted to stop the&nbsp;SUV, and the driver failed to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit was immediately terminated due to speeds being in excess of 102 mph. 

Lyon County Deputies and the Emporia Police Department lost sight of the black SUV, in the city limits of Emporia.

At approximately 5:40a.m., Lyon County Deputies located the same SUV traveling southbound on Interstate 35.&nbsp; Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle and the driver again failed to stop&nbsp;and a vehicle pursuit ensued. 

The SUV traveled through the center median of Interstate 35 and traveled northbound. The pursuit traveled through, Coffey, Osage, and Franklin Counties.

Tire deflation devices were deployed four separate times during the pursuit. The pursuit ended in Franklin County, approximately six and a half miles southeast of Ottawa, Kansas. 

&nbsp;The driver was later identified as Frederick Beecher Hogue, 37-years-old, from Hollister, Missouri.&nbsp;The passenger was identified as Sara Kay Rogers, 36-years-old, from Granby, Missouri.

They were arrested&nbsp;without incident, and transported to the Lyon County Detention Center.

Hogue is being held on requested charges of Felony Flee and Attempt to Elude, Felony Possession of Stolen Property, Felony Interference with Law Enforcement, numerous traffic infractions, and an out of state warrant through Jasper County, Missouri.

&nbsp;Rogers was jailed on requested charged of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720298558660.png" alt="Hogue photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Hogue photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect after a 3-county chase in a stolen vehicle.Just after 4a.m. Tuesday, sheriff's deputies, located a possible stolen black SUV at West 6th Avenue and Prairie Street in Emporia, according to Police&nbsp;Sgt. Zachary M. Shafer.&nbsp; Deputies attempted to stop the&nbsp;SUV, and the driver failed to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit was immediately terminated due to speeds being in excess of 102 mph. Lyon County Deputies and the Emporia Police Department lost sight of the black SUV, in the city limits of Emporia.At approximately 5:40a.m., Lyon County Deputies located the same SUV traveling southbound on Interstate 35.&nbsp; Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle and the driver again failed to stop&nbsp;and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The SUV traveled through the center median of Interstate 35 and traveled northbound. The pursuit traveled through, Coffey, Osage, and Franklin Counties.Tire deflation devices were deployed four separate times during the pursuit. The pursuit ended in Franklin County, approximately six and a half miles southeast of Ottawa, Kansas. &nbsp;The driver was later identified as Frederick Beecher Hogue, 37-years-old, from Hollister, Missouri.&nbsp;The passenger was identified as Sara Kay Rogers, 36-years-old, from Granby, Missouri.They were arrested&nbsp;without incident, and transported to the Lyon County Detention Center.Hogue is being held on requested charges of Felony Flee and Attempt to Elude, Felony Possession of Stolen Property, Felony Interference with Law Enforcement, numerous traffic infractions, and an out of state warrant through Jasper County, Missouri.&nbsp;Rogers was jailed on requested charged of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp;

Suspect jailed after 102mph Kan. chase in stolen SUV

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a deadly crash that killed a passenger in his vehicle in 2023.

On July 1, 24-year-old Harry Rediker was sentenced to&nbsp;22 years in prison for the death of&nbsp;38-year-old Lindsey Garmon of Wellington as he fled a traffic stop and crashed.

Just before 5:30 a.m. January 28, 2023, deputies attempted to stop a Hyundia Elantra for alleged traffic infractions on Kellogg Drive, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs. The driver of the vehicle&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20054606">Harry Rediker 22,</a>&nbsp;Wichita,&nbsp; failed to stop and fled from deputies.

The Preliminary Investigation shows Rediker’s vehicle left the roadway at Hoover and Taft and struck a utility pole ending the pursuit.

EMS transported Rediker to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. EMS also transported the passenger in the vehicle identified as 38-year-old Lindsey Garmon of Wellington to a local hospital with serious injuries and she later died.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20054606">Rediker was booked into the&nbsp;</a>Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 1st Degree Murder in commission of a felony, Interference with law enforcement officer: obstruct felony warrant service, flee and elude, and state parole violation.

Rediker has previous convictions for theft, criminal possession of a weapon and flee or attempt to elude law enforcement had had been reported as absconder on Jan. 9, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. The agency had issued a warrant for his arrest the day of the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675092662469.png" alt="Rediker-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Rediker-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a deadly crash that killed a passenger in his vehicle in 2023.On July 1, 24-year-old Harry Rediker was sentenced to&nbsp;22 years in prison for the death of&nbsp;38-year-old Lindsey Garmon of Wellington as he fled a traffic stop and crashed.Just before 5:30 a.m. January 28, 2023, deputies attempted to stop a Hyundia Elantra for alleged traffic infractions on Kellogg Drive, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs. The driver of the vehicle&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20054606">Harry Rediker 22,</a>&nbsp;Wichita,&nbsp; failed to stop and fled from deputies.The Preliminary Investigation shows Rediker’s vehicle left the roadway at Hoover and Taft and struck a utility pole ending the pursuit.EMS transported Rediker to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. EMS also transported the passenger in the vehicle identified as 38-year-old Lindsey Garmon of Wellington to a local hospital with serious injuries and she later died.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20054606">Rediker was booked into the&nbsp;</a>Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 1st Degree Murder in commission of a felony, Interference with law enforcement officer: obstruct felony warrant service, flee and elude, and state parole violation.Rediker has previous convictions for theft, criminal possession of a weapon and flee or attempt to elude law enforcement had had been reported as absconder on Jan. 9, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. The agency had issued a warrant for his arrest the day of the crash.

His passenger died when he fled Kan. traffic stop, crashed

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly 4th of July shooting in Kansas City. Just before 3:00pm police responded to a shooting in the 2200 block of E. 69th Terrace, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders located a victim unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a home.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

An investigation determined the man who died had an interaction with one or more unknown suspects that resulted in gunfire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720133624393.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryle Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryle Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly 4th of July shooting in Kansas City. Just before 3:00pm police responded to a shooting in the 2200 block of E. 69th Terrace, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720133597687.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located a victim unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;An investigation determined the man who died had an interaction with one or more unknown suspects that resulted in gunfire.Police have not reported an arrest or released suspect information.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Deadly 4th of July shooting in Kansas City

COWLEY COUNTY— A Kansas man was arrested after a crash into a home just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Cowley County.

According to Arkansas City Police, a&nbsp;vehicle driven by 22-year-old Anthony Perez-Hernandez had gone through the stop sign at the intersection of North 2nd Streed and Kansas Avenue in Arkansas City and collided with the home in the 200 Block of W. Kansas Avenue.

&nbsp;Perez-Hernandez exhibited signs of alcohol impairment. Standardized field sobriety tests were administered, revealing further clues of impairment.

Police transported Perez-Hernandez to the Arkansas City Police Department for additional testing. Following the tests, he was taken to the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, lack of proof of insurance, transporting an open container and reckless driving. 

His bond was set for $750. The passenger in the vehicle, Pedro Marcos Pascual, was found in possession of an open container and was cited and released for this violation.&nbsp; There were no injuries from the crash and Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department assessed the structural integrity of the home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720187003635.png" alt="Photos Arkansas City Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Arkansas City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY— A Kansas man was arrested after a crash into a home just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Cowley County.According to Arkansas City Police, a&nbsp;vehicle driven by 22-year-old Anthony Perez-Hernandez had gone through the stop sign at the intersection of North 2nd Streed and Kansas Avenue in Arkansas City and collided with the home in the 200 Block of W. Kansas Avenue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720186982642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Perez-Hernandez exhibited signs of alcohol impairment. Standardized field sobriety tests were administered, revealing further clues of impairment.Police transported Perez-Hernandez to the Arkansas City Police Department for additional testing. Following the tests, he was taken to the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, lack of proof of insurance, transporting an open container and reckless driving. His bond was set for $750. The passenger in the vehicle, Pedro Marcos Pascual, was found in possession of an open container and was cited and released for this violation.&nbsp; There were no injuries from the crash and Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department assessed the structural integrity of the home.

Police  DUI crash into house put Kansas man in jail

Cyberattacks on health care systems don’t just cost money. They can make it harder for clinicians to keep their patients safe.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/rachana-pradhan/">Rachana Pradhan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/kate-wells/">Kate Wells</a><a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/">The Beacon</a>

In the wake of a debilitating cyberattack against one of the nation’s largest health care systems, Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at an Ascension hospital in Wichita, said he had a frightening experience: He nearly gave a baby “the wrong dose of narcotic” because of confusing paperwork.

Ruckle, who has worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph for two decades, said it was “hard to decipher which was the correct dose” on the medication record. He’d “never seen that happen,” he said, “when we were on the computer system” before the cyberattack.

A May 8 ransomware attack against Ascension, a Catholic health system with 140 hospitals in at least 10 states, locked providers out of systems that track and coordinate nearly every aspect of patient care. They include its systems for electronic health records, some phones, and ones “utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications,” the company said in a May 9 statement.

More than a dozen doctors and nurses who work for the sprawling health system told Michigan Public and KFF Health News that patient care at its hospitals across the nation was compromised in the fallout of the cyberattack over the past several weeks. Clinicians working for hospitals in three states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks via technology to prevent potentially fatal mistakes.

Despite a precipitous rise in cyberattacks against the health sector in recent years, a weeks-long disruption of this magnitude is beyond what most health systems are prepared for, said&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/pharmacy/john-s-clark-pharmd-ms-bcps-fashp">John Clark</a>, an associate chief pharmacy officer at the University of Michigan health system.

“I don’t believe that anyone is fully prepared,” he said. Most emergency management plans “are designed around long-term downtimes that are into one, two, or three days.”

Ascension in a&nbsp;<a href="https://about.ascension.org/cybersecurity-event">public statement May 9</a>&nbsp;said its care teams were “trained for these kinds of disruptions,” but did not respond to questions in early June about whether it had prepared for longer periods of downtime. Ascension said June 14 it had restored access to electronic health records across its network, but that patient “medical records and other information collected between May 8” and when the service was restored “may be temporarily inaccessible as we work to update the portal with information collected during the system downtime.”

Ruckle said he “had no training” for the cyberattack.

Lisa Watson, an intensive care unit nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, described her own close call. She said she nearly administered the wrong medication to a critically ill patient because she couldn’t scan it as she normally would. “My patient probably would have passed away had I not caught it,” she said.

Watson is no stranger to using paper for patients’ medical charts, saying she did so “for probably half of my career,” before electronic health records became ubiquitous in hospitals. What happened after the cyberattack was “by no means the same.”

“When we paper-charted, we had systems in place to get those orders to other departments in a timely manner,” she said, “and those have all gone away.”

Melissa LaRue, an ICU nurse at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, described a close call with “administering the wrong dosage” of a patient’s blood pressure medication. “Luckily,” she said, it was “triple-checked and remedied before that could happen. But I think the potential for harm is there when you have so much information and paperwork that you have to go through.”

Clinicians say their hospitals have relied on slapdash workarounds, using handwritten notes, faxes, sticky notes, and basic computer spreadsheets — many devised on the fly by doctors and nurses — to care for patients.

More than a dozen other nurses and doctors, some of them without union protections, at Ascension hospitals in Michigan recounted situations in which they say patient care was compromised. Those clinicians spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of retaliation by their employer.

An Ascension hospital emergency room doctor in Detroit said a man on the city’s east side was given a dangerous narcotic intended for another patient because of a paperwork mix-up. As a result, the patient’s breathing slowed to the point that he had to be put on a ventilator. “We intubated him and we sent him to the ICU because he got the wrong medication.”

A nurse in a Michigan Ascension hospital ER said a woman with low blood sugar and “altered mental status” went into cardiac arrest and died after staff said they waited four hours for lab results they needed to determine how to treat her, but never received. “If I started having crushing chest pain in the middle of work and thought I was having a big one, I would grab someone to drive me down the street to another hospital,” the same ER nurse said.

Similar concerns reportedly led a travel nurse at an Ascension hospital in Indiana to quit. “I just want to warn those patients that are coming to any of the Ascension facilities that there will be delays in care. There is potential for error and for harm,” Justin Neisser&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NofGfUnptfs">told CBS4</a>&nbsp;in Indianapolis in May.

Several nurses and doctors at Ascension hospitals said they feared the errors they’ve witnessed since the cyberattack began could threaten their professional licenses. “This is how a RaDonda Vaught happens,” one nurse said, referring to the Tennessee nurse who was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/radonda-vaught-nurse-drug-error-vanderbilt-guilty-verdict/">criminally negligent homicide</a>&nbsp;in 2022 for a fatal drug error.

Reporters were not able to review records to verify clinicians’ claims because of privacy laws surrounding patients’ medical information that apply to health care professionals.

Ascension declined to answer questions about claims that care has been affected by the ransomware attack. “As we have made clear throughout this cyber attack which has impacted our system and our dedicated clinical providers, caring for our patients is our highest priority,” Sean Fitzpatrick, Ascension’s vice president of external communications, said via email on June 3. “We are confident that our care providers in our hospitals and facilities continue to provide quality medical care.”

The federal government requires hospitals to protect patients’ sensitive health data, according to cybersecurity experts. However, there are no federal requirements for hospitals to prevent or prepare for cyberattacks that could compromise their electronic systems.

Hospitals: ‘The No.1 Target of Ransomware’

“We’ve started to think about these as public health issues and disasters on the scale of earthquakes or hurricanes,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-tully-672679102/">Jeff Tully</a>, a co-director of the Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity at the University of California-San Diego. “These types of cybersecurity incidents should be thought of as a matter of when, and not if.”

Josh Corman, a cybersecurity expert and advocate, said ransom crews regard hospitals as the perfect prey: “They have terrible security and they’ll pay. So almost immediately, hospitals went to the No. 1 target of ransomware.”

In 2023, the health sector experienced the largest share of ransomware attacks of 16 infrastructure sectors considered vital to national security or safety, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf">FBI report on internet crimes</a>. In March, the federal Department of Health and Human Services said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/03/13/hhs-office-civil-rights-issues-letter-opens-investigation-change-healthcare-cyberattack.html">reported large breaches involving ransomware</a>&nbsp;had jumped by 264% over the past five years.

A cyberattack this year on Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division that processes billions of health care transactions every year,&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/unitedhealth-change-healthcare-hack-cyber-cybersecurity-ransomware/">crippled the business</a>&nbsp;of providers, pharmacies, and hospitals.

In May, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty&nbsp;<a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/what-we-learned-change-healthcare-cyber-attack">told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;the company paid a $22 million ransom as a result of the Change Healthcare attack — which occurred after hackers accessed a company portal that didn’t have multifactor authentication, a basic cybersecurity tool.

The Biden administration in recent months&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/cyber/Documents/Health-Care-Sector-Cybersecurity-Dec2023-508.pdf">has pushed</a>&nbsp;to bolster health care cybersecurity standards, but it’s not clear which new measures will be required.

In January, HHS&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/HHS-Releases-CPGs-and-Gateway-Website-Jan2024.aspx">nudged companies</a>&nbsp;to improve email security, add multifactor authentication, and institute cybersecurity training and testing, among other voluntary measures. The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is expected to release new requirements for hospitals, but the scope and timing are unclear. The same is true of an update HHS is expected to make to patient privacy regulations.

HHS said the voluntary measures “will inform the creation of new enforceable cybersecurity standards,” department spokesperson Jeff Nesbit said in a statement.

“The recent cyberattack at Ascension only underscores the need for everyone in the health care ecosystem to do their part to secure their systems and protect patients,” Nesbit said.

Meanwhile, lobbyists for the hospital industry contend cybersecurity mandates or penalties are misplaced and would curtail hospitals’ resources to fend off attacks.

Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the most recent data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)

“Hospitals and health systems are not the primary source of cyber risk exposure facing the health care sector,” the American Hospital Association, the largest lobbying group for U.S. hospitals, said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aha.org/testimony/2024-04-17-aha-house-statement-fiscal-year-2025-department-health-and-human-services-budget">an April statement</a>&nbsp;prepared for U.S. House lawmakers. Most large&nbsp;<a href="https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf">data breaches</a>&nbsp;that hit hospitals in 2023 originated with third-party “business associates” or other health entities, including CMS itself, the AHA statement said.

Hospitals consolidating into large multistate health systems&nbsp;<a href="https://news.utdallas.edu/business-management/hospital-mergers-hacking-2023/">face increased risk</a>&nbsp;of data breaches and ransomware attacks, according to one study. Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahrq.gov/chsp/data-resources/compendium.html">most recent data</a>&nbsp;from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

And while cybersecurity regulations can quickly become outdated, they can at least make it clear that if health systems fail to implement basic protections there “should be consequences for that,”&nbsp;<a href="https://ioe.engin.umich.edu/people/bagian-jim/">Jim Bagian</a>, a former director of the National Center for Patient Safety at the Veterans Health Administration, told Michigan Public’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/stateside/2024-05-22/stateside-podcast-ransomware-attack-at-ascension">Stateside</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719930547420.png" alt="Marvin Ruckle, who has worked for two decades as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at an Ascension hospital in Kansas, said confusing paperwork nearly led him to administer the wrong dose of a narcotic to a baby after the health system suffered a cyberattack on May 8. Credit: Travis Heying / KFF Health News" />
 <figcaption>Marvin Ruckle, who has worked for two decades as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at an Ascension hospital in Kansas, said confusing paperwork nearly led him to administer the wrong dose of a narcotic to a baby after the health system suffered a cyberattack on May 8. Credit: Travis Heying / KFF Health News</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Cyberattacks on health care systems don’t just cost money. They can make it harder for clinicians to keep their patients safe.</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/rachana-pradhan/">Rachana Pradhan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/kate-wells/">Kate Wells</a><a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/">The Beacon</a>In the wake of a debilitating cyberattack against one of the nation’s largest health care systems, Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at an Ascension hospital in Wichita, said he had a frightening experience: He nearly gave a baby “the wrong dose of narcotic” because of confusing paperwork.Ruckle, who has worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph for two decades, said it was “hard to decipher which was the correct dose” on the medication record. He’d “never seen that happen,” he said, “when we were on the computer system” before the cyberattack.A May 8 ransomware attack against Ascension, a Catholic health system with 140 hospitals in at least 10 states, locked providers out of systems that track and coordinate nearly every aspect of patient care. They include its systems for electronic health records, some phones, and ones “utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications,” the company said in a May 9 statement.More than a dozen doctors and nurses who work for the sprawling health system told Michigan Public and KFF Health News that patient care at its hospitals across the nation was compromised in the fallout of the cyberattack over the past several weeks. Clinicians working for hospitals in three states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks via technology to prevent potentially fatal mistakes.Despite a precipitous rise in cyberattacks against the health sector in recent years, a weeks-long disruption of this magnitude is beyond what most health systems are prepared for, said&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/pharmacy/john-s-clark-pharmd-ms-bcps-fashp">John Clark</a>, an associate chief pharmacy officer at the University of Michigan health system.“I don’t believe that anyone is fully prepared,” he said. Most emergency management plans “are designed around long-term downtimes that are into one, two, or three days.”Ascension in a&nbsp;<a href="https://about.ascension.org/cybersecurity-event">public statement May 9</a>&nbsp;said its care teams were “trained for these kinds of disruptions,” but did not respond to questions in early June about whether it had prepared for longer periods of downtime. Ascension said June 14 it had restored access to electronic health records across its network, but that patient “medical records and other information collected between May 8” and when the service was restored “may be temporarily inaccessible as we work to update the portal with information collected during the system downtime.”Ruckle said he “had no training” for the cyberattack.Back to PaperLisa Watson, an intensive care unit nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, described her own close call. She said she nearly administered the wrong medication to a critically ill patient because she couldn’t scan it as she normally would. “My patient probably would have passed away had I not caught it,” she said.Watson is no stranger to using paper for patients’ medical charts, saying she did so “for probably half of my career,” before electronic health records became ubiquitous in hospitals. What happened after the cyberattack was “by no means the same.”“When we paper-charted, we had systems in place to get those orders to other departments in a timely manner,” she said, “and those have all gone away.”Melissa LaRue, an ICU nurse at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, described a close call with “administering the wrong dosage” of a patient’s blood pressure medication. “Luckily,” she said, it was “triple-checked and remedied before that could happen. But I think the potential for harm is there when you have so much information and paperwork that you have to go through.”Clinicians say their hospitals have relied on slapdash workarounds, using handwritten notes, faxes, sticky notes, and basic computer spreadsheets — many devised on the fly by doctors and nurses — to care for patients.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719930753692.png" alt="Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas, one of 140 hospitals the Catholic health system operates nationwide. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)" />
 <figcaption>Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas, one of 140 hospitals the Catholic health system operates nationwide. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)</figcaption>
 </figure>More than a dozen other nurses and doctors, some of them without union protections, at Ascension hospitals in Michigan recounted situations in which they say patient care was compromised. Those clinicians spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of retaliation by their employer.An Ascension hospital emergency room doctor in Detroit said a man on the city’s east side was given a dangerous narcotic intended for another patient because of a paperwork mix-up. As a result, the patient’s breathing slowed to the point that he had to be put on a ventilator. “We intubated him and we sent him to the ICU because he got the wrong medication.”A nurse in a Michigan Ascension hospital ER said a woman with low blood sugar and “altered mental status” went into cardiac arrest and died after staff said they waited four hours for lab results they needed to determine how to treat her, but never received. “If I started having crushing chest pain in the middle of work and thought I was having a big one, I would grab someone to drive me down the street to another hospital,” the same ER nurse said.Similar concerns reportedly led a travel nurse at an Ascension hospital in Indiana to quit. “I just want to warn those patients that are coming to any of the Ascension facilities that there will be delays in care. There is potential for error and for harm,” Justin Neisser&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NofGfUnptfs">told CBS4</a>&nbsp;in Indianapolis in May.Several nurses and doctors at Ascension hospitals said they feared the errors they’ve witnessed since the cyberattack began could threaten their professional licenses. “This is how a RaDonda Vaught happens,” one nurse said, referring to the Tennessee nurse who was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/radonda-vaught-nurse-drug-error-vanderbilt-guilty-verdict/">criminally negligent homicide</a>&nbsp;in 2022 for a fatal drug error.Reporters were not able to review records to verify clinicians’ claims because of privacy laws surrounding patients’ medical information that apply to health care professionals.Ascension declined to answer questions about claims that care has been affected by the ransomware attack. “As we have made clear throughout this cyber attack which has impacted our system and our dedicated clinical providers, caring for our patients is our highest priority,” Sean Fitzpatrick, Ascension’s vice president of external communications, said via email on June 3. “We are confident that our care providers in our hospitals and facilities continue to provide quality medical care.”The federal government requires hospitals to protect patients’ sensitive health data, according to cybersecurity experts. However, there are no federal requirements for hospitals to prevent or prepare for cyberattacks that could compromise their electronic systems.Hospitals: ‘The No.1 Target of Ransomware’“We’ve started to think about these as public health issues and disasters on the scale of earthquakes or hurricanes,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-tully-672679102/">Jeff Tully</a>, a co-director of the Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity at the University of California-San Diego. “These types of cybersecurity incidents should be thought of as a matter of when, and not if.”Josh Corman, a cybersecurity expert and advocate, said ransom crews regard hospitals as the perfect prey: “They have terrible security and they’ll pay. So almost immediately, hospitals went to the No. 1 target of ransomware.”In 2023, the health sector experienced the largest share of ransomware attacks of 16 infrastructure sectors considered vital to national security or safety, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf">FBI report on internet crimes</a>. In March, the federal Department of Health and Human Services said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/03/13/hhs-office-civil-rights-issues-letter-opens-investigation-change-healthcare-cyberattack.html">reported large breaches involving ransomware</a>&nbsp;had jumped by 264% over the past five years.A cyberattack this year on Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division that processes billions of health care transactions every year,&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/unitedhealth-change-healthcare-hack-cyber-cybersecurity-ransomware/">crippled the business</a>&nbsp;of providers, pharmacies, and hospitals.In May, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty&nbsp;<a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/what-we-learned-change-healthcare-cyber-attack">told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;the company paid a $22 million ransom as a result of the Change Healthcare attack — which occurred after hackers accessed a company portal that didn’t have multifactor authentication, a basic cybersecurity tool.The Biden administration in recent months&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/cyber/Documents/Health-Care-Sector-Cybersecurity-Dec2023-508.pdf">has pushed</a>&nbsp;to bolster health care cybersecurity standards, but it’s not clear which new measures will be required.In January, HHS&nbsp;<a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/HHS-Releases-CPGs-and-Gateway-Website-Jan2024.aspx">nudged companies</a>&nbsp;to improve email security, add multifactor authentication, and institute cybersecurity training and testing, among other voluntary measures. The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is expected to release new requirements for hospitals, but the scope and timing are unclear. The same is true of an update HHS is expected to make to patient privacy regulations.HHS said the voluntary measures “will inform the creation of new enforceable cybersecurity standards,” department spokesperson Jeff Nesbit said in a statement.“The recent cyberattack at Ascension only underscores the need for everyone in the health care ecosystem to do their part to secure their systems and protect patients,” Nesbit said.Meanwhile, lobbyists for the hospital industry contend cybersecurity mandates or penalties are misplaced and would curtail hospitals’ resources to fend off attacks.Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the most recent data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719930832970.png" alt="Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the most recent data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)" />
 <figcaption>Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the most recent data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Travis Heying/ KFF Health News)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Hospitals and health systems are not the primary source of cyber risk exposure facing the health care sector,” the American Hospital Association, the largest lobbying group for U.S. hospitals, said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aha.org/testimony/2024-04-17-aha-house-statement-fiscal-year-2025-department-health-and-human-services-budget">an April statement</a>&nbsp;prepared for U.S. House lawmakers. Most large&nbsp;<a href="https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf">data breaches</a>&nbsp;that hit hospitals in 2023 originated with third-party “business associates” or other health entities, including CMS itself, the AHA statement said.Hospitals consolidating into large multistate health systems&nbsp;<a href="https://news.utdallas.edu/business-management/hospital-mergers-hacking-2023/">face increased risk</a>&nbsp;of data breaches and ransomware attacks, according to one study. Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahrq.gov/chsp/data-resources/compendium.html">most recent data</a>&nbsp;from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.And while cybersecurity regulations can quickly become outdated, they can at least make it clear that if health systems fail to implement basic protections there “should be consequences for that,”&nbsp;<a href="https://ioe.engin.umich.edu/people/bagian-jim/">Jim Bagian</a>, a former director of the National Center for Patient Safety at the Veterans Health Administration, told Michigan Public’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/stateside/2024-05-22/stateside-podcast-ransomware-attack-at-ascension">Stateside</a>.Patients can pay the price when lapses occur. Those in hospital care face&nbsp;<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4579292">a greater likelihood of death</a>&nbsp;during a cyberattack, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.Workers concerned about patient safety at Ascension hospitals in Michigan have called for the company to make changes.“We implore Ascension to recognize the internal problems that continue to plague its hospitals, both publicly and transparently,” said Dina Carlisle, a nurse and the president of the OPEIU Local 40 union, which represents nurses at Ascension Providence Rochester. At least 125 staff members at that Ascension hospital have&nbsp;<a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/urgent-ascension-providence-rochester-medical-professionals-demand-safety-precautions-in-hospital-amid-cyber-attack">signed a petition</a>&nbsp;asking administrators to temporarily reduce elective surgeries and nonemergency patient admissions, like under the protocols many hospitals adopted early in the covid-19 pandemic.Watson, the Kansas ICU nurse, said in late May that nurses had urged management to bring in more nurses to help manage the workflow. “Everything that we say has fallen on deaf ears,” she said.“It is very hard to be a nurse at Ascension right now,” Watson said in late May. “It is very hard to be a patient at Ascension right now.”This story was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/">KFF Health News</a>.