HUTCHINSON – Just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday the jury in the trial for a Kansas teen accused of the murder of his mother and sister found Sam Vonachen guilty on all counts including First Degree Murder, Attempted Murder and Aggravated Arson.

Vonachen used gasoline to ignite his family’s Hutchinson home in September 2013 when he was 14. The blaze killed 11-year-old Audrey Vonachen and their mother, 47-year-old Karla Jo Vonachen. His father escaped.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for September 30.

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HUTCHINSON- The trial for a Kansas teen accused of the murder of his mother and sister is now in the hands of the jury.

Just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the jury got the case against Samuel Vonachen after both sides gave closing arguments.

The state again argued that this was a premeditated act with the defendant waiting for his parents and sister to go to bed, then went to the garage and grabbed a gas can and poured gas in a U shape around the stairs twice and set it on fire.

The state believes it was premeditated because Vanochen took the time to bring personal belongings out prior to setting the fire, including his base guitar and a blanket.

The defense argues that Vanochen suffered mental disease and defect. Attorneys showed the jury a video of Vanochen allegedly having a conversation with himself, but also asking an officer while in a police vehicle if anyone was hurt in the fire. They claim he suffered with disassociation disorder at the time the fire was set.

Prior to the closing the two sides argued over jury instructions and the defense argued for a reconsideration of a judgment of acquittal, which was denied.

They also asked for dismissal of the case claiming prosecutorial misconduct. Judge Trish Rose again denied the request.

SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Central Kansas are investigating two suspects after a high-speed chase across 3 counties on Wednesday.

Just before noon, deputies from Saline County were dispatched to the Singh Travel Plaza, 2124 North Hedville Road in rural Saline County after report of a suspicious suspect that made the clerk nervous, according to Deputy Mike Smith.

While deputies spoke to the individuals in question, they sped off in a vehicle east on Interstate 70 toward Salina, south on Interstate 135, exited on Water Well Road, traveled to Ohio Street and then to Kansas Highway 4 to Gypsum into McPherson County and ultimately east to Marion County where sheriff’s deputies deployed spike strips to stop the vehicle.

After a foot chase, two suspects including a white male and female were taken into custody, according to Smith.

Names and charges were not released early Wednesday afternoon. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

RICE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. on Wednesday in Rice County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Kenworth semi driven Galen D. Wilson, 72, Rozel, was westbound on Kansas 4 three miles west of Bushton.

The truck dropped off the edge of the roadway into the north ditch.

The driver was unable to bring the vehicle back up on the roadway due to the muddy ditch, lost control and the truck overturned.

Wilson was transported to the hospital in Hoisington.

He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

 

ELK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Elk County are investigating

Just after 1p.m. on August 25 a deputy with Elk County Sheriff’s Department was at the Shawnee County Department of Corrections in Topeka to pickup an inmate for transfer back to the Elk County Jail, according to a media release.

While the deputy was in the booking area patting the inmate down before transport, another inmate identified as William Portal, 25, noticed the deputy bent over, and attacked the deputy from behind.

Portal punching the side of the deputy’s head with his fist.

Once the deputy realized what was going on the suspect backed up and got into a fighting stance ready to fight officers in the room.

The deputy was not severely injured but did have some pain shortly after.

Portal is being held at the Shawnee County Jail pending a charge of battery on a Law Enforcement Office, according to Shawnee County Sheriff’s Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –  A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms, according to Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Michael Knight, 36, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On April 4, 2016, Knight pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug-trafficking crime.

Knight was arrested on Jan. 26, 2015, when the vehicle he was driving was stopped after leaving a residence that was under surveillance. Knight had approximately 1.41 grams of methamphetamine in his front pants pocket. Police officers searched Knight’s vehicle and found a loaded Taurus .44-caliber revolver under the front passenger seat, a Ziploc bag containing approximately 232 grams of methamphetamine, a folded paper containing .1 gram of heroin, a digital scale and two cell phones.

Officers also searched Knight’s hotel room and found a Wesson Arms .44-caliber magnum revolver lying on the bed and ammunition in the nightstand. Investigators found photos of Knight holding the firearms on his cell phone.

HARPER COUNTY – A Kansas man died in an accident just before 11p.m. on Tuesday in Harper County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Neven O. Cullop, 25, Anthony, was northbound on Kansas 179 five miles south of Anthony.

The driver failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway.

The pickup left the road and rolled three times.

Cullop and passengers Jacob E Obrien, 29, Kelleyville, TX, and James W. Poston, 28, Anthony, were transported to Anthony Medical Center where Poston died.

Cullop and Poston were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

BUCYRUS, Kan. (AP) — It could be months before an eastern Kansas business finds out if one of its peaches has broken a world record.

KSHB-TV reports a peach weighing 763.39 grams — about 2 pounds — was picked Aug. 24 at Tubby Fruits Peach Orchard in Bucyrus. The current world record of 725 grams was set in 2002.

Two certified scientists from the Johnson County Extension office weighed the peach using a verified scale provided by the USDA. The process was documented with both videos and photos.

The Lady Nancy’s peach had to be eaten as proof that the fruit wasn’t altered to skew the results.

Once documentation is submitted, Guinness World Records says it could take up to 12 weeks for it to determine if the peach sets a new record.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it will distribute $53 million to 44 states in an effort to curb opioid abuse.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell says the funding will focus on reducing over-prescribing of pain killers, increasing access to treatment and making sure the antidote naloxone is widely available.

Read more on the epidemic here.

The administration is also calling on Congress to provide $1.1 billion in new money, saying legislation recently signed into law didn’t do enough to expand treatment. That bill authorized $181 million in new spending.

Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, said in a conference call announcing the funding that opioid abuse is so common he carries an overdose reversal kit with him. He says federal funding is urgently needed so people seeking treatment don’t have to wait months.

HUTCHINSON -The trial for a Kansas teen accused of the murder of his mother and sister continued on Tuesday with an expert witness for the defense still on the stand.

Dr. Kathleen Heide, a mental health counselor from Florida who specializes in kids who kill their parents  is testifying about her examination of Samuel Vonachen.

He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson after allegedly setting a fire to his family’s home back on September 26, 2013.

On Tuesday, she told the jury of her conversation with the teen over what he remembers from the night of the fire.

She testified he described it as being like it was part of a dream, as an out of body experience.

Prior to starting the fire, he told her he was in bed feeling light headed with his heart pounding, hearing strange things with strange thoughts.

He told her he remembered going to the garage to get the gas can and like it was a dream. He then remembered being on the front porch with the gas can and entering the front door, wondering what he was doing, saying it was like a foggy dream.

He remembered pouring the gas, but couldn’t recall where he poured it, what rooms or where he was standing when he did it.

Heide testified that Vanochen told her he remembers seeing police cars and remembers telling them, ”that’s my house.” He had his baby blanket with him and remembers telling police he didn’t want it to get burned.

He remembered being at the hospital and later being in a bright room with dark edges which Dr. Heidi thought was probably the interview room at the police station.

He couldn’t remember things he told police and told her it wasn’t until he was in the detention center that he believes the dream was over.

At that time, Heide testified it became real to Vanochen that these things did happen including him pouring the gas inside his home and setting it on fire.

Her testimony is Vanochen’s defense effort to argue that at the time of the crimes, he suffered from a mental disease or defect.

Closing arguments should begin on Wednesday prior to the jury beginning deliberations.

EDGERTON, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old Kansas man has pleaded no contest in the death of a bar patron who was struck in the head with a pool cue a week before Christmas.

WDAF-TV reports Gregory Cooper of Edgerton was charged with second-degree murder and attempted aggravated battery in the death of 23-year-old Tyler Knudsen at an Edgerton bar on Dec. 19.

Johnson County prosecutors said Cooper “unintentionally, but recklessly” killed Knudsen when he swung a pool cue at another man’s head but instead hit the victim.

Family members say Knudsen was an innocent bystander just waiting to play a game of pool.

Cooper entered his plea on Tuesday. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say they will use nearly $1.2 million in federal funds to fight the Zika virus.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 11 people in the state have been infected with the virus, which is primarily spread through mosquitoes.

The state has received the funds under three cooperative agreements with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The funds are going toward public health emergencies preparedness and response, as well as an epidemiology and laboratory capacity program that includes participation in a nationwide Zika pregnancy registry.

Surveillance, intervention and referral to services for infants with adverse outcomes linked to Zika will also be funded.

Kansas’ first case was reported in March. No cases of local transmission have been reported.

Zika causes a mild illness in most people but can lead to severe brain-related birth defects if women are infected during pregnancy.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge in Kansas has thrown out a Muslim inmate’s lawsuit that accused a county jail of violating the convicted killer’s religious rights.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports U.S. Magistrate Judge David J. Waxse in Topeka dismissed Eddie Gordon Sr.’s 2014 lawsuit against the Shawnee County Jail and its administrators.

Acting as his own attorney, Gordon alleged he wasn’t fed for 28 hours during the season of Ramadan, when Muslims for 30 days fast from dawn until after sunset. He also said jail officials served him cold, unbearable meals so close to his prayer time that he couldn’t eat them before fasting.

Waxse dismissed the lawsuit after Gordon failed to show in a timely manner how the alleged conduct harmed him physically or intentionally interfered with his religion.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas House candidate has asked the state Supreme Court to order a county’s judges to convene a grand jury to investigate Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Democrat Steven Davis of Lawrence filed his request last week after Douglas County’s chief judge rejected Davis’ petition for a grand jury.

Davis wants the grand jury to investigate whether the Republican secretary of state or his subordinates mishandled online voter registrations.

Davis circulated petitions after hearing anecdotes about potential problems, but even some of Kobach’s toughest critics haven’t seen evidence of wrongdoing. Kobach did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.

Kansas is among a handful of states allowing citizens to call for grand juries.

Judge Robert Fairchild ruled Aug. 18 that the allegations in Davis’ petition weren’t specific enough.