INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A 41-year-old man who raped a Kansas sheriff’s deputy has pleaded guilty to a second rape in Missouri.
Luth -photo Jackson Co.
William Luth pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attack on an Independence, Missouri, woman in February 2016.
The sentence will run concurrently with a 41-year sentence Luth received for attacking a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy in October 2016.
Prosecutors charged Luth and another man, Brady Newman-Caddell, in the both crimes.
The Missouri woman was attacked as she slept, with her 2-year-old daughter on the bed next to her. No suspects were identified until DNA was found after the Kansas attack.
Newman-Caddell on Wednesday asked to withdraw his guilty plea in the Kansas case and go to trial.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence woman has pleaded no contest in a drug-deal robbery in which a 17-year-old was shot and critically wounded.
Parnell-Photo Douglas Co.Hormell -photo Douglas Co.
19-year-old Ardyn Pannell, of Lawrence, entered the plea Wednesday to counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
An attempted second-degree murder case is pending against Pannell’s former boyfriend, 19-year-old Michael Hormell, of Lawrence. The affidavit says Pannell and Hormell set up a January 2018 drug buy with the victim at a Lawrence park. But authorities say their plan was to rob him. Pannell is accused of pulling the trigger. The victim was flown to a hospital in critical condition with a chest wound but survived.
BUCHANAN COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before noon Thursday in Buchanan County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Civic driven by Jonathan R. Turner, 25, Atchison, was southbound on U.S. 59 one half mile east of Winthrop.
The driver attempted to turn east onto private property and failed to yield to northbound traffic. A northbound 2015 Chevy Traverse driven by Kirk L. Kloepper, 55, Effingham, Kansas, struck the Honda.
A passenger in the Honda Lonnie J. Elmore, 50, St. Joseph, was pronounced dead at the scene. Turner was transported to Mosaic Life Care.
Kloepper and a passenger Laurie A. Kloepper, 55, Effingham, were transported to the hospital in Atchison with minor injuries. Elmore was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly has signed an executive order creating an advisory group that aims to improve education in Kansas.
The governor told reporters Thursday that educating children is one of the most important obligations of elected leaders and one of the best economic and civic investments to make in Kansas.
I’m pleased today to announce the creation of the Governor’s Council on Education, via Executive Order No. 19-03. They will work together to find ways to improve education outcomes in Kansas and provide future opportunities for our children. pic.twitter.com/MyGhE8GhRq
The Governor’s Council on Education will look for ways to enhance early childhood education, create relationships between the education and the business community and develop partnerships to address workforce needs in Kansas.
Kelly says improving education means not only fully funding public schools, but also looking for ways to evaluate and innovate from early childhood all the way through to the workforce.
The group, which builds on the work of a previous education council, will hold its first meeting Wednesday.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Latest on fatal shooting of an off-duty St. Louis police officer (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
St. Louis police have identified the officer killed in an accidental early morning shooting as 24-year-old Katlyn Alix.
In honor of Officer Katlyn Alix, members of the #SLMPD will be wearing the Department mourning band. “Officer Alix was an enthusiastic and energetic young woman with a bright future ahead of her” –@ChiefJohnHaydenpic.twitter.com/BDIZ2d6NOQ
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Thursday when two on-duty male officers went to one of their homes during their shift. Police Chief John Hayden says Alix was off-duty and stopped by the home. It wasn’t clear why the officers were at the home.
A police incident report says the officers were seated in the apartment living room when one of the male officers “mishandled a firearm and shot (Alix) in the chest.”
The male officers took her to a hospital, where she died.
Police and the St. Louis city circuit attorney’s office are investigating.
Hayden, in a statement, says Alix was an “enthusiastic and energetic young woman with a bright future ahead of her.” Survivors include her husband, parents and a sister.
___
7:30 a.m.
Authorities say a St. Louis police officer has accidentally shot and killed another officer.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the shooting happened around 1 a.m. Thursday when two on-duty male officers went to one of their homes during their shift. Police Chief John Hayden said during a news conference that a 24-year-old off-duty officer was shot in the chest when she stopped by the home.
The male officers took her to a hospital, where she died. Mayor Lyda Krewson described the shooting as “terribly sad” in a tweet.
No other details were immediately released, including the names of the officers or why they were at the same home when the shooting happened. Overall crime in the Carondelet neighborhood where the shooting happened has been up in recent months.
Midland Empire Ag and Rural Lifestyle Show 2019. Photo by Travis Dodge.
The Midland Empire Ag and Rural Lifestyle Show is coming to the Civic Arena in St. Joseph this weekend.
Cindy Cornelius with the Farm Show said this will be the 30th year of the event and there are some exciting things that will be a part of the show this year.
“I’m excited about this year because it’s been a few years, probably 10, since we’ve had Case IH, Massey Ferguson, New Holland and John Deere all at the show, so that’s exciting,” Cornelius said. “Definitely something to celebrate in addition to the 30th year.”
The Midland Empire Ag and Rural Lifestyle Show will be open from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
For more information and a list of vendors, click here.
BROWN COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. Thursday in Brown County.
The Kansas highway Patrol reported a 2012 Freightliner semi driven by Belal Saed Haraz, 34, Kansas City, MO., was eastbound on U.S. 36 at Prairie Road. The driver lost control of vehicle and struck a bridge structure.
Haraz was transported to the Hiawatha Hospital with minor injuries. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
————-
UPDATE (2:10 p.m.) – According to MoDOT, the Kansas Highway Patrol has reported that U.S. Route 36 westbound in Kansas has reopened after a crash five miles east of Hiawatha.
====
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – U.S. Route 36 westbound in Kansas is closed due to a crash.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, crews from the Kansas Highway Patrol reported the crash is five miles east of Hiawatha and they are awaiting a crane from Topeka to clear the scene. The road could be closed for three to four hours or more. Motorists should seek an alternate route.
For more information, visit www.modot.org and view the online Traveler Information Map. The Traveler Information Map has links to surrounding states’ DOTs, including Kansas. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A group of Republicans in the Missouri Senate has formed the Conservative Caucus.
Six Republican senators on Thursday highlighted issues including abortion, gun rights and reducing the size of government as caucus priorities.
Weldon Spring Sen. Bill Eigel says the group wants to be a resource for other Republicans. He says caucus members support the party’s elected leaders in the chamber.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The attorney for a former Missouri sheriff’s deputy and correctional officer sentenced to death for a double killing told Missouri Supreme Court judges during Wednesday arguments that his client should get a new trial because prosecutors bungled the case.
Rice photo MDC
Public defender Craig Johnston said that during Marvin Rice’s trial for the 2011 killing of his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, prosecutors repeatedly drew the jury’s attention to the fact that he didn’t testify.
Johnston said that violated Rice’s right against self-incrimination and said he deserves a new trial.
“Every time you turn around this experienced death penalty litigator is telling the jury this guy didn’t testify,” Johnston said in court.
Rice was convicted of the slaying of Annette Durham and her boyfriend, Steven Strotkamp, over a child custody dispute. A judge in 2017 sentenced to Rice to death in for Durham’s killing and to life in prison over Strotkamp’s death.
At issue are multiple comments prosecutors made during Rice’s trial about how he would have answered questions if he had testified.
“If he had been asked those questions he would have told us not only does he believe in the death penalty, he’s willing to carry it out without the need for attorneys, judges, trial or jurors,” Assistant Attorney General Kevin Zoellner said during the penalty phase of Rice’s trial, according to court documents.
Assistant Attorney General Nathan Aquino on Wednesday argued that prosecutors didn’t comment directly on Rice’s failure to testify.
But judges appeared skeptical. Judge Laura Denvir Stith said prosecutors could have made their point without referring to Rice’s silence. Judge Paul Wilson said instead, the prosecutor used “this weird roundabout reference” that points out that Rice didn’t speak, and “that’s what the Constitution prohibits.”
Supreme Court judges focused less on Johnston’s broader argument that Rice was unconstitutionally sentenced to death by a judge and not a jury and therefore should get life in prison instead of execution.
A jury convicted Rice of first-degree murder for Durham’s death and second-degree murder for Strotkamp’s. But the jury couldn’t decide whether Rice should be put to death, leaving it to the judge.
