ELK COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 11a.m. on Wednesday in Elk County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Ford Truck driven by Shannon Jordan, 39, Augusta, Sedan, was eastbound on U.S.160 three miles west of Elk City.

The truck dropped off the right side edge of the road. The driver attempted to bring the vehicle back up onto the roadway and it rolled.

Jordan was transported to the hospital in Sedan.

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

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man charged in a 2014 shooting death will be tried for a third time.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday it would try Dustin D. Walker on a felony murder charge in the death of Patrick Roberts. Jurors in the first trial found Walker guilty of aggravated burglary but could not agree on the felony murder charge. The second jury also could not agree on the felony murder charge.

Prosecutors allege Roberts and a co-defendant broke into Walker’s home to steal money and marijuana and Walker shot Roberts.

Walker’s attorney said the two men did not break into the apartment, which would nullify the underlying felony of aggravated burglary for a felony murder charge.

The Lawrence Journal-World report the third trial is scheduled March 7-11.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas lawmaker plans to ask for an audit to determine whether the Kansas Department for Children and Families discriminates against same-sex couples in foster care and adoption cases.

Rep. Jim Ward, a Democrat from Wichita, said he will ask the audit Dec. 10 when the Legislative Post-Audit Committee meets.

The Wichita Eagle reports Ward’s request comes after a Topeka city councilman and his wife were granted custody of a child over a lesbian couple from Wichita last year based on a recommendation from the state agency. The lesbian couple had cared for the child for 11 months.

The Topeka couple, Jonathan and Allison Schumm, were charged in November with one count each of aggravated battery and four counts of endangering a child.

TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Wednesday to life in federal prison for murdering a woman to keep her from giving information to federal law enforcement officers about his involvement in drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Marcus D. Roberson, 33, Junction City, Kan., was convicted in a
jury trial in March 2014 on the following counts:

One count of murder in the March 3, 2010, shooting of Crystal K. Fisher.
One count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
One count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Roberson lured the 25-year-old Fisher to a location near an alley in central Junction City where he shot her four times at close range. Her body was found seated in the driver’s side of her vehicle in the 700 block of West 11th Street in Junction City. She had been shot four times. The murder weapon, a .40 caliber pistol, was found in a pond behind a Walmart in Junction City.

Prosecutors also presented evidence of Roberson’s involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed powder and crack cocaine in and throughout the Junction City area.

Co-defendants include:

Virok D. Webb, who was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison.

Kennin Dewberry, who was sentenced to 240 months.

Jamaica L. Chism, who was sentenced to 84 months.

Megan N. Fuller, who was sentenced to 42 months.

Alisha A. Escobedo, who was sentenced to time served and five years on supervised release.

Caress Jackson, who was sentenced to time served and two years on supervised release.

Keishana Johnson, who was sentenced to time served and three years on supervised release.

Grissom commended the Junction City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Warner for their work on the case. Also assisting in the investigation were the Riley County Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command at Ft. Riley, the Dickinson County Drug Enforcement Unit, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Tourism and the Park City Police Department.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are seeking three people in a shooting that left two people dead in east Wichita.

KSNW-TV reports that a 55-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man died in the Tuesday afternoon shooting.

Witnesses told police that there had been a confrontation between two men at the home and another man that came over to drop off a woman.

Wichita police Lt. Todd Ojile says that 30 minutes later, the man who dropped off the woman returned in a car with two people with him. Ojile says a fight broke out and then shots were fired toward the home from the street.

The woman died at the home, and the man died at a hospital several hours later.

 

JUNCTION CITY – A Kansas man accused in the murder of a Junction City woman appeared in Geary County Court on Wednesday.

Daniel E. Edwards, 34, Junction City, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sharon Moody, 52, of Junction City.

She was found dead at her 1015 West Ninth Street residence on March 15.

Edwards was arrested later that night in Topeka,

In addition to 1st Degree Premeditated Murder, Edwards is faces an alternative count of Felony 1st Degree Murder, plus Aggravated Robbery and Theft by Deception.

Steve Opat, Geary County Attorney, said a motions hearing “on the admissibility of the statements that Edwards made to law enforcement is set for January 26.

“A jury trial could be scheduled after that date,” Opat said,

“There will be depending on the outcome of, and the Court’s ruling on the admissibility on those statements.”

A probation revocation motion hearing for Edwards in a separate case will also be on January 26.

Edwards is incarcerated in the Geary County Detention center on a $1 million bond.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today applauded action in the transportation conference report that would restore $3 billion in cuts to crop insurance.

“I appreciate the dedication to America’s farmers shown by our leadership today in ensuring crop insurance remains the number one tool in our producers’ risk management tool box,” Chairman Pat Roberts said. “I thank Leader McConnell, Senator Cornyn, Senator Thune, Senator Inhofe, House leadership and Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway. I have worked my entire career to build crop insurance as a public-private partnership that best protects producers and taxpayers. My goal was to nip crop insurance cuts in the bud before cuts took effect to harm farmers, and I’m proud to say we’re one big step closer.”

“I am pleased that the House and Senate were able to find a solution that reverse the cuts to agriculture,” Ranking Member Stabenow said. “Crop insurance is a critical tool used by our farmers and ranchers. The Farm Bill already made significant reforms and our farmers and ranchers need the certainty that these programs offer. That’s why Senator Roberts and I have been committed to finding a bipartisan solution that keeps the Farm Bill intact and reverses these cuts.”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the discovery of human skeletal remains in a wooded area of Sedgwick County.

The sheriff’s office says the sheriff’s office was notified Tuesday night after a hunter found the remains. No other information was immediately available, including the identity of the victim.

SALINA- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a case of alleged felony theft.

Police reported that an audit indicated an employee of O’Reilly Auto Parts, 523 South Broadway in Salina was giving unauthorized discounts to a business in Junction City.

Neal Barta, 50, Salina, was arrested on Tuesday.

He faces one count of felony theft in connection with giving the discount between January 14, and December 1, of this year.

The total amount of loss has been placed at $2,053.

ST. JOHN – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 5 a.m. on Wednesday in Stafford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Peterbilt semi driven by John K. Hunter, 60, Larned, was southbound on U. S. 281 at 5th Street in St. John.

The semi driver attempted to pass a southbound trash truck driven by Cassidy Quinn Mawhirter, 35, St. John, that slowed to make a left turn. The semi hit the trash truck.

Mawhirter was transported to the Stafford District Hospital.

Hunter and passengers in the trash truck Terry Hollers, 58, St. John, and Michael Jeffrey Reed, 48, Stafford, were not injured.

The driver and occupants of the trash truck were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

GARDEN CITY – Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating a suspect for alleged aggravated battery.

Officers of the Garden City Police Department were dispatched to the 300 block of N Eleventh Street on Friday at 7:30p.m. for a reported domestic disturbance, according to a media release.

When Officers arrived on scene they located a 34-year-old woman victim who had suffered injuries to her face.

Finney County EMS responded. The victim was treated and released on scene.

Further investigation revealed this incident occurred at her boyfriend’s residence in the 1100 block of East Chestnut Street where the victim was allegedly forced to stay at the residence and not allowed to leave.

During a physical confrontation with the suspect the victim was struck multiple times with a blunt object. Later in the evening the victim was able to flee the residence and run to a neighbor’s house and call police.

Officers responded to the area of East Chestnut in an effort to attempt to locate the suspect, Joe Torres, 35, Garden City.

Officers located the suspect at the residence. He refused to cooperate and exit the residence.

The Garden City/Finney County SWAT team utilized a search warrant at the residence. Torres was located inside and arrested without incident.

Torres is being held in the Finney County Jail and could face the possible charges of: Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Kidnapping and
Interference with Law Enforcement.

MANHATTAN – Forty of Kansas State University’s university distinguished professors sent Kansas Legislators a letter urging them to allow universities to regulate the presence of guns on campuses, according to a media release.

Following is the letter that was sent.

To the Kansas Legislature:

In July 2017, Kansas Regents Institutions will lose their exemption from Kansas legislation that permits the carrying of firearms in all public places. Until that time, colleges and universities have had the authority to restrict firearms if they believe them incompatible with the function and mission of their campus. Our university has done so, a policy which we strongly support.

Our administration and campus community have made that choice for a wide variety of reasons.

Suicide is a threat to people of traditional college age; death by gunshot is the most prevalent suicide mortality. We believe that easier access to guns will mean losing more of our students to suicide.

Accidental shootings injure both gun owners and those around them. University classrooms, labs, libraries, athletic venues, and other public spaces bring people in close proximity to one another. Accidental shootings cannot occur in the absence of guns and we believe more guns will increase the likelihood of accidental shootings of our co-workers, our students and the guests who come to our campuses.

There is no evidence that increased gun presence has decreased death or injury by guns on campuses. Whether on campuses or elsewhere, private citizens have had no appreciable success in preventing deaths by intentional shooters, accidental shooters, or suicidal individuals. Beyond the boundaries of universities, the evidence is that the presence of guns in homes increases the likelihood of death or injury by gunshot. We believe our community is safest without guns in our midst, except in the hands of on-duty law enforcement officials.

We think that officially allowing firearms on campus for students, faculty and staff will make it more difficult to recruit those who are uncomfortable with guns in their learning or working environment, and we worry that we will lose valuable members of our campus community to other universities.

We are dedicated teachers, mentors, researchers, and colleagues. We believe that the unrestricted presence of guns in our classrooms, offices, lecture halls and other spaces will make us and our students feel less safe. It will compromise the open door policy many of us maintain, in which students and others are free to drop by our offices to consult or converse. It will make students less open to working together with others whom they may not know well, and will adversely affect their educational experience. We believe that by compromising the safety of our community members, sanctioning guns on campus goes against the mission of the university.

We, the undersigned University Distinguished Professors, strongly urge the legislature to allow colleges and universities to regulate the presence of guns on their campuses, granting them permanent relief from the Kansas Personal and Family Protection Act.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say shots were fired during a pursuit that ended with the suspects’ vehicle crashing into a tractor-trailer in Kansas City, Kansas.

KCTV-TV reports that the pursuit started Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri, after undercover officers spotted four people running behind a house while patrolling in the area. Sgt. Kevin Kilkenny says police began following their vehicle because they were suspected of committing a burglary.

Police say no officers were wounded when shots were fired from the suspects’ vehicle. Four men were arrested after the pursuit ended in a crash. Police said the suspects sustained only minor injuries.