SEDGWICK COUNTY — In 2017 over one thousand firearms were stolen in Wichita. Through November 4, 768 have been stolen in 2018. Of those firearm stolen, 358 have been linked to violent crime, according to police.  In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement authorities in Wichita announced Project Save-A-Casing Tuesday.

The program is a partnership with law enforcement agencies across the local, state and federal levels and communities to proactively address firearm-related crimes.

The WPD invited citizens to be part of this program and help address firearm related crimes.  To help, citizens will store two bullet casings and registration information from each of their guns.  The casing and information should be stored in a safe place separate from the guns.

If a gun theft occurs, the owner would then give the two firearm casings and registration information to a police officer. These casings and information would then be submitted into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

NIBIN is a national database containing digital images of spent bullets and cartridge casings found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated firearms.  It was established in 1999 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This is a searchable database for possible shell casings matches. If a match occurs, the NIBIN lab then sends the findings to WPD investigators.

This program has been made possible through a grant titled, “Supporting Innovation: Field-Initiated Programs to Improve Officer and Public Safety.”  The grant total is $493,594 and was awarded to the WPD by the United States Department of Justice.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — One person was injured in a fire on Tuesday in Shawnee County.

Just before 6:30p.m. fire crews responded to a home at 2619 SW Murrow Ct. in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Michael Martin.

Upon arrival, fire crews reported heavy smoke and flames from the one story wood frame residence.  The one occupant of the home escaped the fire with minor injuries, according to Martin.

Preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire to be Accidental; associated with fuelinga gasoline generator.  Origin of the fire was within garage. The estimated structural dollar loss is $30,000. Estimated content dollar loss is $3,000. The American Red Cross provided assistance to one occupant.

No smoke detectors were sounding within the structure.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A man who helping to beat a Salina woman with a chain before strangling and drowning her has died.

The Kansas Department of Corrections says 30-year-old Joel Heil died Sunday.

Hiel was in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2013 death of 27-year-old Kristin Tyler.

Corrections department spokesman Samir Arif confirmed Heil’s death but said he was not in state custody and couldn’t provide details about Heil’s death.

Heil was incarcerated at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility but was taken to Leavenworth County last Thursday for a court hearing.

Tyler’s battered body was found in May 2013. Prosecutors say she was killed because Heil and another man, Dane DeWeese, thought she had stolen money and drugs and suspected her of being a police informant.

By Laura Kelly, Kansas Governor-elect

It’s mid-November of an even-numbered year in America, which finds us all catching our breath at the close of another exhausting campaign season. With the 2018 election finally behind us, pundits are now falling over themselves to decode Tuesday’s results for the nation.

But for all the speculation and money spent, the 2018 Election does not fit conveniently into hash tags like #BlueWave or #RemainRed. It falls somewhere in the middle, which makes the great state of Kansas a perfect place to look.

On Tuesday, I was elected the 48th Governor of Kansas. I will serve as our state’s third female Democratic governor – elected exactly 100 years after the first Kansas woman was elected to statewide office.

In presidential elections, Kansas is as reliably red as Dorothy’s ruby slippers, making my election seem improbable to some. But anyone who knows Kansas understands that, more often than not, our story plays out far beneath polling toplines and national narratives.

If you’ve turned on a news program or read a newspaper at any point in the last five years, you may have encountered at least one unflattering story about Kansas, former Governor Sam Brownback, and his ill-conceived, ideologically-driven “tax experiment.”

It was a disaster for our state causing cuts to schools, massive budget deficits, credit downgrades, rural hospitals closing, and a stagnant economy. I ran for governor to undo that damage and put the day-to-day needs of Kansas families first.

I did not campaign on partisan issues; I campaigned on family issues.  Instead of being distracted by political fights, my team focused on schools and jobs, as well as the cost of healthcare, food, and child care.

During the last year, we spoke directly to the needs of working men and women – and their hopes for the future. I made it clear that I would not waste time and taxpayer dollars on political fights. My time and energy would be spent producing real results that improve the lives of Kansas families.

After eight years of divisive rhetoric, I ran on the simple idea of putting the needs of our families first. As it turns out, that message appealed to Kansans of all backgrounds.

What’s more, Kansans are desperate for a change in the tone of our politics.  In recent years, the statehouse in Topeka, just like Washington, has taken a turn towards mean-spirited tactics that put scoring political points ahead of the best interests of Kansans. And that behavior has actually caused more harm.

I’ve never met any voters – regardless of party – who prefer their leaders yell, insult and demean one another instead of getting things done.  It’s not how anyone else goes about their work or their daily lives.

During my 14 years in the State Senate, I was willing to working with anyone – regardless of political label – to balance the budget, invest in schools, provide affordable healthcare and grow our economy. And that’s why dozens of Republican leaders – including former Republican Governors and U.S. Senators – crossed the aisle to support my campaign. They certainly didn’t agree with me on all the issues.  But they agreed with my approach: listen, compromise, and make Kansans’ lives better.

And that is how I’ll govern. I look forward to working with Republican and Democratic leaders in Kansas to move our state forward. I hope other leaders across the country join me in returning to more civil discussion of the issues that impact our children and families.

We’re experiencing an exciting moment of change in our country.  Thousands of newly elected officials at the federal and state level will soon be sworn in – people from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

It’s a powerful opportunity to recast the shape of our politics.

It’s time to care less about scoring wins for one political party or another, and to begin caring more about working together to score wins for the people we all represent.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect wanted in Louisiana after a Kansas traffic stop.

Just before 10:30p.m. Monday, police stopped a vehicle at SE 4th and Lawrence in Topeka for several traffic infractions, according to Lt. John Trimble.

The driver, Vincent A. Thomas, Jr, 25,  was found to be in possession of a firearm.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Thomas is a convicted felon and prohibited from being in possession of a firearm.

Thomas was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a felony warrant in Louisiana for robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated weapons violation, possession of a firearm while a fugitive from justice, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony obstruction, a city warrant and two traffic infractions.

WICHITA, KAN. – A California man entered a plea agreement today in federal court in Kansas that would send him to prison for 20 years or more, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Tyler Barriss, 25, Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to causing a deadly swatting incident in Wichita on Dec. 28, 2017, as well as dozens of similar crimes in which no one was injured. In those cases, Barriss was charged in federal courts in California and the District of Columbia.

In the Wichita case, Barriss entered guilty pleas to count one (making a false report resulting in a death), count two (cyberstalking) and count 12 (conspiracy) of a superseding indictment.

“Without ever stepping foot in Wichita, the defendant created a chaotic situation that quickly turned from dangerous to deadly,” U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. “His reasons were trivial and his disregard for the safety of other people was staggering.”

In the Kansas case, Barriss admitted making hoax calls that resulted in Wichita police surrounding an old house at 1033 W. McCormick. When officers arrived, they believed there was a man inside who had killed his own father and was holding family members hostage. A man who came outside to face police, however, had done nothing wrong and did not know about the swatting call. As he stepped onto the porch, police told him to put up his hands. When he unexpectedly dropped his hands, he was shot and killed.

Two co-defendants in the Wichita case, Casey Viner, 18, North College Hill, Ohio, and Shane Gaskill, 20, Wichita, Kan., are awaiting trial.

In Barriss’ plea, he admitted he got involved with Viner and Gaskill after they had a falling out while playing the game Call of Duty online. As a result, Viner, who was in Ohio, asked Barriss, who was in California, to swat Gaskill, who was in Wichita. Gaskill found out Barriss was stalking him and in messages over the internet he dared Barriss to carry out the swat. Gaskill fooled Barriss, however, by claiming to live at 1033 W. McCormick. In fact, Gaskill no longer lived there.

In the case from the District of Columbia, Barriss pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb threats in phone calls to the headquarters of the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C.

In the case from the Middle District of California, Barriss pleaded guilty to 46 counts, including making calls with false reports that bombs were planted at high schools, universities, shopping malls and TV stations. He made the calls from Los Angeles to emergency numbers in Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, Utah, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Missouri, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New York, Michigan, Florida and Canada.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 30 before U.S. District Court Judge Eric Melgren.

————–

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man accused of making a hoax phone call that led police to fatally shoot an unarmed man last year in Wichita will be in federal court to enter new pleas.

Twenty-five-year-old Tyler R. Barriss has a change-of-plea hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He was indicted in Kansas for conspiracy to make a false call, cyberstalking and other crimes related to the hoax call.

The same hearing will also take up cases initially filed in California and the District of Columbia related to other fake calls and threats.

Barriss still faces a January trial on a separate state charge of involuntary manslaughter in Kansas.

The deadly police shooting occurred after Barriss allegedly called to report a shooting at a Wichita home following an online dispute over a video game between two gamers.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in Sedgwick County.

A 1995 Chevy pickup driven by Conner J. Richuber, 17, was westbound on 21^st Street North from 167^th Street West, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

The pickup crossed the center line and collided with a 2013 GMC Yukon XL driven by 55-year-old James Speer.

First responders pronounced Richuber dead at the scene.  Speer was transported to a Wichita hospital in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s department.

Preliminarily, investigators believe icy road conditions and speed could be contributing factors.  The accident is still under investigation.

 

 

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —The Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Investigation Division has classified  fire at the Wyldewood Cellars Winery in Paxico that occurred Thursday evening as incendiary.

The victim, who was found deceased at the scene, has been identified as Evan Jolly, 32, from the Kansas City, MO area.

He is believed to be the one who started the fire. The damage to the winery has been estimated between $750,000 and $1 million.

Officials have not released details on why he started the fire.

Just after 6:30 p.m. Thursday, fire crews and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the Wyldewood Cellars Winery just off the Paxico exit on Interstate 70, 32633 Grapevine Road, according to a media release from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff.

It took approximately two hours for crews from Paxico, McFarland, Maple Hill, Alma, Wamego and Wabaunsee to get the blaze under control.

 

BALTIMORE (AP) — Several Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday urged colleagues at their national meeting to take some sort of action on the clergy sex abuse crisis despite a Vatican order to delay voting on key proposals.

“We are not branch managers of the Vatican,” said Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois. “Our people are crying out for some action.”

He suggested a nonbinding vote to convey a sense of the bishops’ aspirations regarding anti-abuse efforts.

Bishop George Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, echoed Paprocki’s call, saying parishioners and priests in his diocese are “very, very angry.”

The three-day assembly opened Monday with a surprise announcement by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Vatican, he said, was ordering the bishops to delay votes on two anti-abuse proposals until after a Vatican-convened global meeting on sex abuse in February.

DiNardo indicated there were two principal reasons for the Vatican order: to ensure that steps taken by the U.S. bishops would be in harmony with steps decided at the February meeting, and to provide more time for vetting aspects of the U.S. proposals that might conflict with church law.

Even without the option of a formal vote this week, the U.S. bishops proceeded with discussion of the two key proposals. One would establish a new code of conduct of individual bishops; the other would create a special commission, including lay experts, to review complaints against the bishops.

However, the bishops are under pressure to take additional steps, as stressed in an address to the assembly Tuesday by Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board, which the bishops created in 2002 to monitor the church’s efforts to prevent clergy sex abuse.

“Your response to this crisis has been incomplete,” Cesareo told the bishops. “It is shameful that the sin of abuse was hidden and allowed to fester until uncovered by the secular world.”

He cited the grand jury report released in August in Pennsylvania. It detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, alleging more than 1,000 children had been abused over the years by about 300 priests. Since then, a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia has begun working on a federal criminal case centered on child exploitation, and attorneys general in at least 11 other states have launched investigations.

“How many souls have been lost because of this crisis?” Cesareo said.

He urged all U.S. bishops to commit to conducting a thorough review of their dioceses’ files, dating to at least 1950, and publicly sharing a list of any clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults.

“To maintain credibility, the review process must involve the laity in some form, such as a diocesan review board or external firm,” Cesareo said.

Some bishops had taken this step, he noted, and urged the others to follow suit.

Cesareo also endorsed the bishop conference’s proposal for a thorough investigation of the scandal involving disgraced church leader Theodore McCarrick. Pope Francis removed McCarrick as a cardinal in July after church investigators said an allegation that he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible.

Subsequently, several former seminarians and priests reported they too had been abused or harassed by McCarrick as adults, triggering debate over who might have known and covered up McCarrick’s misconduct.

Another speaker, Anita Raines of the conference’s National Advisory Council, said any investigation of the McCarrick case should determine what sort of care his victims received and provide details of financial settlements they received.

Raines also called for an audit of Catholic seminaries in the U.S., including investigation of possible “predatory homosexual behavior” taking place at them.

At one point during the morning session, Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, expressed dismay that the Vatican “doesn’t trust us” and asked Cesareo what the USCCB should do.

“Decisively act on this issue and continually move it forward,” Cesareo replied. “If that doesn’t happen, I fear for the future of our church.”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Records show that a man arrested in a deadly Wichita shootout had been paroled just a few months earlier for a 2008 killing.

Aubrey Montez Oliver, 28,  was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. He was arrested after one person was killed and another person injured in a southeast Wichita shootout early Saturday. The slain person hasn’t been identified.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show that Oliver had been released from prison in July and placed on parole for the killing of Kenneth “Landy” White in Hutchinson. Oliver pleaded guilty in that case to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in exchange for his testimony against two other defendants.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after an I-70 traffic stop.

Just after 5p.m. November 9, a Saline County Deputy clocked a 2018 Hyundai Elantra eastbound at 93 miles per hour on Interstate 70, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.

When the deputy stopped the vehicle near the Halstead exit, he detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

A check of the vehicle revealed a total of 4.4 pounds of various types of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and some cocaine. Some of the marijuana was found packaged in Pelican cases that were zip-tied to the underside of the vehicle, according to Soldan.

The driver, Janice Hennessee, 48, of McMinnville, Tennessee, was charged with speeding, distribution of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and having no tax stamp.

The passenger, Regina Mooneyham, 49, of Morrison, Tennessee, was charged with possession of opiates, distribution of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and having no tax stamp.

Soldan said the pair had been to Colorado.

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of an infant in Manhattan.

Just after 8:30 a.m. Thursday, November 8, the Riley County Police Department Emergency Dispatch Center received a 911 call concerning an infant not breathing in East Manhattan, according to a media release.

The infant was transported to Via Christi in Manhattan then subsequently life-flighted to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City where he died.

Police released no additional information.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A  Kansas man convicted of raping and trying to kill a young girl is scheduled for sentencing Tuesday.

The sentencing hearing for 24-year-old Corbin Breitenbach of Wichita is now scheduled for 3p.m., according to the Sedgwick County Attorney’s office.

In September, a Sedgwick County jury deliberated for about an hour  before finding Breitenbach guilty of attempted capital murder, rape, criminal sodomy and burglary.

Witnesses said Breitenbach broke into a west Wichita apartment in June of 2017 where the then-7-year-old girl was staying with her brother and a family friend. Prosecutors say he choked the girl until she was unconscious and then raped her.

Breitenbach, who acted as his own attorney during the trial, was already registered as a sex offender for an aggravated sexual battery case from 2012.