SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case last week.

Peter McKinney, 22 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Police also arrested McKinney's father at the scene on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.&nbsp;&nbsp;More investigation is needed before further charges are filed against him, according to the district attorney's office.

Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney.

At this time, police believe that Crawford and Peter McKinney knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.

Peter McKinney remains jailed on a half-million dollar bond. His next court hearing is July 15, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; His father remains jailed on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.

&nbsp;This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921077048.png" alt="Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case last week. Peter McKinney, 22 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Police also arrested McKinney's father at the scene on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.&nbsp;&nbsp;More investigation is needed before further charges are filed against him, according to the district attorney's office.Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719885319829.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921323757.png" alt="Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney.At this time, police believe that Crawford and Peter McKinney knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.Peter McKinney remains jailed on a half-million dollar bond. His next court hearing is July 15, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; His father remains jailed on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.

Father, son remain jailed after Kan. apartment complex killing

OSAGE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just before 11a.m. July 9,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of northwest Maple and northwest Roberts Streets in Melvern for a domestic disturbance, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During a subsequent follow-up on the incident, a male subject was contacted in the 200 block of northwest Main Street and Illegal narcotics were in his possession.

Dustin R. Davis, 33, of Emporia was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Arrest warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720560755800.png" alt="Davis-photo Osage County." />
 <figcaption>Davis-photo Osage County.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 11a.m. July 9,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of northwest Maple and northwest Roberts Streets in Melvern for a domestic disturbance, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During a subsequent follow-up on the incident, a male subject was contacted in the 200 block of northwest Main Street and Illegal narcotics were in his possession.Dustin R. Davis, 33, of Emporia was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Arrest warrant.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of selling methamphetamine

BOSTON (AP) — A lawsuit was filed Thursday against Hershey, Walgreens and several others in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after he participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge that was widely promoted on social media.

Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died Sept. 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.” An autopsy found Wolobah died after eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect.

Harris died of cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration,” according to the autopsy from the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner. Capsaicin is the component that gives chile peppers their heat. The autopsy also said Harris had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”

“Today we filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of this wonderful family for the loss of their beloved son, Harris,” said Douglas Sheff, one of the attorneys representing the family in the lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court. The lawsuit seeks a judgement determined by the court that would include punitive damages.

Sheff said the parties created “a perfect storm” that led to Wolobah's death that included Paqui producing the spicy chip and encouraging people to post videos of themselves eating the chip on social media while the lawsuit alleged Walgreens sold the “poisonous chip” to children.

“The defendants charged about $10 for each chip, $10 for the chip that killed Harris, $10 for his life,” Sheff said. “Isn’t it clear that these defendants knew full well that this chip was unreasonably dangerous? And isn’t this an obvious marketing campaign designed to attract kids to that very danger?”

Lois and Amos Wolobah, the parents of Harris, attended the news conference but did not speak. But at several points, Amos Wolobah appeared to become emotional and Lois seemed to blow a kiss to a photo that was shown of Harris.

The autopsy said Harris Wolobah had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.” But Sheff was adamant that had nothing to do with his death.

“The chip is what killed him,” he said.

Paqui, a Texas-based subsidiary of the Hershey Co., has expressed its sadness about Wolobah's death but also cited the chip’s “clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or with underlying health conditions.”

The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, came wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped box containing the warning that it was intended for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning noted that the chip was for adult consumption only, and should be kept out of the reach of children. After seeing reports of teens and others not heeding those warnings, the company said it worked with retailers to “voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023, and the One Chip Challenge has been discontinued.”

A spokesperson for Walgreens said it had no comment on the lawsuit while Hershey's did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite the warning, children had no problem buying the chips, and there had been reports from around the country of teens who got sick after taking part in the chip-eating challenge. Among them were three California high school students who were taken to a hospital and seven students in Minnesota who were treated by paramedics after taking part in the challenge in 2022.

The challenge called for participants to eat the Paqui chip and then see how long they could go without consuming other food and water. Sales of the chip seemed largely driven by people posting videos on social media of them or their friends taking the challenge. They showed people, including children, unwrapping the packaging, eating the chips and then reacting to the heat. Some videos showed people gagging, coughing and begging for water and the lawsuit cites scores of examples of people becoming sick after eating the chip.

Harris Wolobah's death spurred warnings from Massachusetts authorities and physicians, who cautioned that eating such spicy foods can have unintended consequences. Since the chip fad emerged, poison control centers have warned that the concentrated amount could cause allergic reactions, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeats and even heart attacks or strokes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715872898677.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — A lawsuit was filed Thursday against Hershey, Walgreens and several others in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after he participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge that was widely promoted on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/zQqfVwgTGD">pic.twitter.com/zQqfVwgTGD</a>&mdash; Paqui Chips (@paquichips) <a href="https://twitter.com/paquichips/status/1699875802941145473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died Sept. 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.” An autopsy found Wolobah died after eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect.Harris died of cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration,” according to the autopsy from the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner. Capsaicin is the component that gives chile peppers their heat. The autopsy also said Harris had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”“Today we filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of this wonderful family for the loss of their beloved son, Harris,” said Douglas Sheff, one of the attorneys representing the family in the lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court. The lawsuit seeks a judgement determined by the court that would include punitive damages.Sheff said the parties created “a perfect storm” that led to Wolobah's death that included Paqui producing the spicy chip and encouraging people to post videos of themselves eating the chip on social media while the lawsuit alleged Walgreens sold the “poisonous chip” to children.“The defendants charged about $10 for each chip, $10 for the chip that killed Harris, $10 for his life,” Sheff said. “Isn’t it clear that these defendants knew full well that this chip was unreasonably dangerous? And isn’t this an obvious marketing campaign designed to attract kids to that very danger?”Lois and Amos Wolobah, the parents of Harris, attended the news conference but did not speak. But at several points, Amos Wolobah appeared to become emotional and Lois seemed to blow a kiss to a photo that was shown of Harris.The autopsy said Harris Wolobah had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.” But Sheff was adamant that had nothing to do with his death.“The chip is what killed him,” he said.Paqui, a Texas-based subsidiary of the Hershey Co., has expressed its sadness about Wolobah's death but also cited the chip’s “clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or with underlying health conditions.”The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, came wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped box containing the warning that it was intended for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning noted that the chip was for adult consumption only, and should be kept out of the reach of children. After seeing reports of teens and others not heeding those warnings, the company said it worked with retailers to “voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023, and the One Chip Challenge has been discontinued.”A spokesperson for Walgreens said it had no comment on the lawsuit while Hershey's did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Despite the warning, children had no problem buying the chips, and there had been reports from around the country of teens who got sick after taking part in the chip-eating challenge. Among them were three California high school students who were taken to a hospital and seven students in Minnesota who were treated by paramedics after taking part in the challenge in 2022.The challenge called for participants to eat the Paqui chip and then see how long they could go without consuming other food and water. Sales of the chip seemed largely driven by people posting videos on social media of them or their friends taking the challenge. They showed people, including children, unwrapping the packaging, eating the chips and then reacting to the heat. Some videos showed people gagging, coughing and begging for water and the lawsuit cites scores of examples of people becoming sick after eating the chip.Harris Wolobah's death spurred warnings from Massachusetts authorities and physicians, who cautioned that eating such spicy foods can have unintended consequences. Since the chip fad emerged, poison control centers have warned that the concentrated amount could cause allergic reactions, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeats and even heart attacks or strokes.

Lawsuit filed: Teen died after eating spicy chip, part of online challenge

PAWNEE COUNTY– James Speer, 32, formerly of Larned appeared in the Pawnee County District Court this week for trial regarding two alleged Jessica’s Law sexual offenses alleged to have occurred in 2013, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The matter was originally scheduled to be presented to a jury, but Speer waived his right to a jury trial on July 3, 2024, and asked to proceed with a bench trial. 

Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman presided over the bench trial. Prior to trial, the defendant gave the State notice of his intent to rely on an alibi defense.

The State presented testimony that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. 

She stated the assault occurred when a man asked her to sit on his lap near a bonfire. The girl also told her mother that they ultimately spent the night at the party because her father had been drinking heavily. After she had fallen asleep, the victim remembered being awakened to find the same man’s face and he was assaulting her. The victim told her mother that she did not know that man that did it, but she would “definitely remember his face if she saw it again.”

The mother testified at trial that after her daughter’s disclosure she reached out to the girl’s father and was able to determine the party in question occurred sometime in 2013 in Garfield, Kansas. While the father could not remember the names of the men at the party, he did remember the names of a couple woman that he had attended the party with. The mother further testified that she utilized social media to reach out to the women. One of the women responded to her and gave her the names of two men at the party, one of whom was James Speer. The mother was able to obtain pictures of Speer and the other man and sent the photos to her daughter electronically. The girl testified at trial that when she opened the photo of the other man, she thought it kind of looked like the assailant, but not exactly. However, when she opened the photo of Speer she instantly couldn’t breathe, and she had a panic attack.

The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother after the victim identified James Speer as her assailant. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

Law enforcement testified at trial their investigation revealed that the father had in fact learned of the allegation the day following the party and had told the women he had attended the party with about the allegation. His daughter, however, later downplayed the actual touching after the father said he was going to kill the man. As such, the father never notified law enforcement.

When law enforcement interviewed the two women identified by the father, they learned that one of the two women had been the live-in girlfriend of James Speer at the time of the party. Both women testified that Speer was at the party, that they saw the girl on his lap, that Speer was the only person’s lap the girl sat on, and that they had also saw Speer carry the girl into the house after she fell asleep. They further testified the other man identified at the party had left before anyone had gone to bed. The other man identified at the party died in 2015.

 The victim’s father also testified at the trial about remembering Speer being at the party and how his daughter had sat on Speer’s lap.

Additionally, law enforcement discovered that after Speer’s girlfriend learned about the allegation against Speer the day following the party in question, the woman immediately took her own daughter, who was two year old at the time, to the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) for a sexual assault exam. 

The medical records reflected that the exam took place on May 26, 2013. The records also indicated the exam was being requested due to an allegation that the child’s mother’s boyfriend, James Speer, had put his hands on a 7 year old girl the night before. The records also indicated that the mother lived with James Speer in Garfield but did not intend to return to the home. Based on the information provided, PVCH made referrals to law enforcement and DCF.

A current detective for the sheriff’s department assigned to the case testified that based on his review of the file it appeared no follow-up was done on the referral as Speer was arrested on July 2, 2013, and subsequently charged with having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl. Speer has been in custody since that time.

As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury of twelve persons convicted, James Edwin Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found (1) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 24th day of May to on or about the 7th day of June, 2013; and (2) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 7th day of June to on or about the 30th day of June, 2013.

Following the presentation of the State’s case, the defendant took the stand on his own behalf. Speer testified that he had not been at the party in question as he had already moved out of the home on May 1st and that based on the evidence presented at the jury trial in his 2015 conviction it was impossible for him to have committed the crimes currently charged as he was having a sexual relationship with the 14 year old during that time frame. Defense counsel then asked in support of their alibi defense that the Court to take judicial notice of the trial testimony of the prior jury trial.

The parties presented closing arguments on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

On Wednesday afternoon Judge Gatterman announced that as the trier of fact he found the victim’s identification of Speer being her assailant persuasive and when combining that with the eyewitness testimony placing Speer at the party, the victim being on Speer’s lap, and there being no other identifiable possible perpetrator, the Court found the State had proven beyond a reasonable that on or about May 25 or 26, 2013, in Pawnee County, Kansas, the defendant James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse as defined by Kansas law and then engaged in oral sodomy as defined by Kansas law with a child under the age of 14 years of age at a time when the defendant was 18 years of age or older. Accordingly, the Court found the defendant guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and guilty of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.

Following the reading of his verdicts, Judge Gatterman advised Speer of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and ordered a presentence investigation report be completed to determine the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Speer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 147 months and 653 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Based on his prior sex offenses, Speer now also faces the possibility of a mandatory 40 year sentence under the Jessica’s Law sentencing provisions.

Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 convictions.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720657861287.png" alt="Speer has four previous convictions for sex crime and convictions for criminal threat, obstruction and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Speer has four previous convictions for sex crime and convictions for criminal threat, obstruction and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>EDITOR'S NOTE: Caution graphic contentPAWNEE COUNTY– James Speer, 32, formerly of Larned appeared in the Pawnee County District Court this week for trial regarding two alleged Jessica’s Law sexual offenses alleged to have occurred in 2013, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The matter was originally scheduled to be presented to a jury, but Speer waived his right to a jury trial on July 3, 2024, and asked to proceed with a bench trial. Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman presided over the bench trial. Prior to trial, the defendant gave the State notice of his intent to rely on an alibi defense.The State presented testimony that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. She stated the assault occurred when a man asked her to sit on his lap near a bonfire. The girl also told her mother that they ultimately spent the night at the party because her father had been drinking heavily. After she had fallen asleep, the victim remembered being awakened to find the same man’s face and he was assaulting her. The victim told her mother that she did not know that man that did it, but she would “definitely remember his face if she saw it again.”The mother testified at trial that after her daughter’s disclosure she reached out to the girl’s father and was able to determine the party in question occurred sometime in 2013 in Garfield, Kansas. While the father could not remember the names of the men at the party, he did remember the names of a couple woman that he had attended the party with. The mother further testified that she utilized social media to reach out to the women. One of the women responded to her and gave her the names of two men at the party, one of whom was James Speer. The mother was able to obtain pictures of Speer and the other man and sent the photos to her daughter electronically. The girl testified at trial that when she opened the photo of the other man, she thought it kind of looked like the assailant, but not exactly. However, when she opened the photo of Speer she instantly couldn’t breathe, and she had a panic attack.The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother after the victim identified James Speer as her assailant. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.Law enforcement testified at trial their investigation revealed that the father had in fact learned of the allegation the day following the party and had told the women he had attended the party with about the allegation. His daughter, however, later downplayed the actual touching after the father said he was going to kill the man. As such, the father never notified law enforcement.When law enforcement interviewed the two women identified by the father, they learned that one of the two women had been the live-in girlfriend of James Speer at the time of the party. Both women testified that Speer was at the party, that they saw the girl on his lap, that Speer was the only person’s lap the girl sat on, and that they had also saw Speer carry the girl into the house after she fell asleep. They further testified the other man identified at the party had left before anyone had gone to bed. The other man identified at the party died in 2015. The victim’s father also testified at the trial about remembering Speer being at the party and how his daughter had sat on Speer’s lap.Additionally, law enforcement discovered that after Speer’s girlfriend learned about the allegation against Speer the day following the party in question, the woman immediately took her own daughter, who was two year old at the time, to the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) for a sexual assault exam. The medical records reflected that the exam took place on May 26, 2013. The records also indicated the exam was being requested due to an allegation that the child’s mother’s boyfriend, James Speer, had put his hands on a 7 year old girl the night before. The records also indicated that the mother lived with James Speer in Garfield but did not intend to return to the home. Based on the information provided, PVCH made referrals to law enforcement and DCF.A current detective for the sheriff’s department assigned to the case testified that based on his review of the file it appeared no follow-up was done on the referral as Speer was arrested on July 2, 2013, and subsequently charged with having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl. Speer has been in custody since that time.As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury of twelve persons convicted, James Edwin Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found (1) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 24th day of May to on or about the 7th day of June, 2013; and (2) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 7th day of June to on or about the 30th day of June, 2013.Following the presentation of the State’s case, the defendant took the stand on his own behalf. Speer testified that he had not been at the party in question as he had already moved out of the home on May 1st and that based on the evidence presented at the jury trial in his 2015 conviction it was impossible for him to have committed the crimes currently charged as he was having a sexual relationship with the 14 year old during that time frame. Defense counsel then asked in support of their alibi defense that the Court to take judicial notice of the trial testimony of the prior jury trial.The parties presented closing arguments on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;On Wednesday afternoon Judge Gatterman announced that as the trier of fact he found the victim’s identification of Speer being her assailant persuasive and when combining that with the eyewitness testimony placing Speer at the party, the victim being on Speer’s lap, and there being no other identifiable possible perpetrator, the Court found the State had proven beyond a reasonable that on or about May 25 or 26, 2013, in Pawnee County, Kansas, the defendant James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse as defined by Kansas law and then engaged in oral sodomy as defined by Kansas law with a child under the age of 14 years of age at a time when the defendant was 18 years of age or older. Accordingly, the Court found the defendant guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and guilty of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.Following the reading of his verdicts, Judge Gatterman advised Speer of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and ordered a presentence investigation report be completed to determine the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Speer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 147 months and 653 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Based on his prior sex offenses, Speer now also faces the possibility of a mandatory 40 year sentence under the Jessica’s Law sentencing provisions.Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 convictions.Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

Judge rules Kan. felon guilty of another child sex crime

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. 

The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720659174156.png" alt="White-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

Sheriff: Kan. woman accused of DUI, transporting cocaine

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.

Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. 

First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.

Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper back

All three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.

Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.

The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720713878829.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper backAll three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720730443437.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest.

Police: Kansas gang gunfight sent four teens to the hospital

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives investigating a Monday homicide&nbsp; have identified the victim as 44-year-old Lester White of Kansas City, Kansas.

Just before 6:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a reported disturbance&nbsp; in the 900 block of Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders found White in the street who had died from blunt trauma.&nbsp; Police took two suspects into custody.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the arrest of possible charges.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives investigating a Monday homicide&nbsp; have identified the victim as 44-year-old Lester White of Kansas City, Kansas.Just before 6:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a reported disturbance&nbsp; in the 900 block of Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders found White in the street who had died from blunt trauma.&nbsp; Police took two suspects into custody.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the arrest of possible charges.

Homicide: Police ID Kansas man who died of blunt trauma

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a violent attack earlier this year.

Last month, 21-year-old Breyon Paul Townsend of Lawrence, was sentenced to 53 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated battery of a Lawrence man, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

“Each of us should be able to walk the streets of our community without fear of violence,” District Attorney Valdez said.&nbsp;

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 22, 2024, when Townsend approached a 20-year-old Lawrence man near 14th and Ohio streets. Townsend punched the man and then left the area in a vehicle. Police later identified Townsend using surveillance footage.

Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Townsend, who pleaded guilty in April, to 24 months of post-release supervision. The sentence will run consecutively to a felony case in Johnson County where Townsend was serving probation at the time of the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720039739626.png" alt="Townsend from an earlier arrest in Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Townsend from an earlier arrest in Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a violent attack earlier this year.Last month, 21-year-old Breyon Paul Townsend of Lawrence, was sentenced to 53 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated battery of a Lawrence man, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.“Each of us should be able to walk the streets of our community without fear of violence,” District Attorney Valdez said.&nbsp;Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 22, 2024, when Townsend approached a 20-year-old Lawrence man near 14th and Ohio streets. Townsend punched the man and then left the area in a vehicle. Police later identified Townsend using surveillance footage.Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Townsend, who pleaded guilty in April, to 24 months of post-release supervision. The sentence will run consecutively to a felony case in Johnson County where Townsend was serving probation at the time of the incident.

Police: Surveillance video led to prison for violent Kan. attack

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.

<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;