SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A judge has sentenced a man to life in prison for attempting to rape a Missouri State University student.

55-year-old Stephen Goodwin was sentenced Friday for a first-degree attempted rape conviction. Goodwin entered an Alford plea, which allows defendants to acknowledge there is enough evidence to convict them without admitting to committing the crime.

The student victim says she was walking home from campus Feb. 10, 2016, when Goodwin came up behind her and tried to rape her. She says Goodwin fled when a bystander arrived at the scene.

Prosecutors say Goodwin was named in several police reports involving inappropriate sexual activity before the attack. The other incidents didn’t result in charges.

The woman says it has been frustrating waiting more than two years for the case to finish.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A newly-released autopsy reports says a 72-year-old Lawrence man was driving drunk when he collided with a vehicle driven by an off-duty Topeka police officer, killing both men.

The crash on May 29 killed 25-year-old officer Trey McCluskey, of Mayetta, and Peter Bieri.

The autopsy found Bieri’s blood-alcohol level was much as three times the legal limit when he drove the wrong way on U.S. 75 north of Topeka and collided with McCluskey’s vehicle.

The autopsy listed “ethanol intoxication” as a contributing factor in Bieri’s death.

No alcohol or drugs were found in McCluskey’s system.

McCluskey’s wife, 25-year-old Taylor McCluskey, survived after being hospitalized for injuries suffered in the crash.

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is investigating why a suburban St. Louis polling place opened 90 minutes late for this month’s primary election.

Ashcroft said Monday that doors at the polling place in O’Fallon remained locked 90 minutes past opening time for the Aug. 7 election. He says the problem could have impacted both the Republican and Democratic races in Missouri House District 102. Both were decided by less than half of 1 percent of the vote.

Ashcroft’s office says the St. Charles County Election Authority first blamed a malfunction due to a lightning strike near the subdivision clubhouse serving as the polling place. But a news release says the office was later told the building owner had changed the locks and election judges didn’t have the correct key.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A couple claims in a lawsuit that a former top lay official in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Catholic diocese emotionally and sexually abused the woman, and the diocese did not intervene.

The lawsuit was filed last week against the diocese and Troy Casteel, the diocese’s former director of family ministry.

The Springfield News-Leader reports the couple, whose names aren’t publicized in the lawsuit, say Casteel counseled them over marital issues from 2013 to 2017. The lawsuit alleges Casteel became involved with the wife, including going on trips alone with her, and eventually sexually abused the woman on diocesan property. The lawsuit also claims the diocese kept Casteel as director of family ministry despite knowing about the abuse.

A spokeswoman said on Monday the diocese couldn’t comment because it hasn’t been served with the lawsuit

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have two suspects in custody.

Just before 5:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 400 Block of SW Taylor in Topeka in the west alley in reference to several gunshots being heard and a man down in the alley, according to Lt. Robert Simmons.

Officers located the man identified  as 20-year-old Gianni Sabastian Noriega of Topeka, with several apparent gunshot wounds and he was transported to a local hospital where he died.

On Sunday, officers were on the lookout for a maroon Pontiac with a known license plate. They located that vehicle near the 100 block of SW 29th Street. Officers took into custody the first of two suspects related to the shooting death, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.

Officers then used a search warrant at an apartment in the 2100 block of SW Mac Vicar in an attempt to locate a second suspect Brandon L. Gayer 18, of Topeka/Shawnee County.

Police didn’t find him at the apartment but later located Gayer and took him into custody near SE 45th Street and SE Paulen Road, according to Lt. Jones.

Late Monday morning, police reported a second suspect, 21-year-old John F. Alston, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections in relation as part of the investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Authorities say a hit-and-run driver has struck and killed a woman in Kansas City.

Police identified the victim as 33-year-old Andrea Mitchell. Investigators say she was struck Saturday night as she crossed a street and that the driver didn’t stop. Police don’t have a description of the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call a tips hotline.

DIGGINS, Mo. (AP) – Authorities say storms have damaged trees, downed power lines and churned up at least one small tornado in southwest Missouri.

National Weather Service meteorologist Drew Albert says an EF-0 tornado has been confirmed near Diggins in Webster County. It uprooted a tree and caused other minor damage Sunday afternoon.

Meteorologists also suspect a tornado touched down later Sunday near the town of Aurora. Crews will be sent Monday to investigate damage there and in Barton County.

No injuries were reported.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas City police are investigating three separate homicides over a 12-hour span.

Police found 36-year-old Gabriel Edgar on Interstate 435 around 3:45 a.m. Sunday. About an hour later, police say a man was shot and killed. Police say the third victim was found shot to death around 3 p.m. Sunday.

Police spokesman Lionel Colon says it has “been a tragedy of a week.” Police haven’t released information about a motive or suspect in any of the cases. Colon says police “rely on the community to come forward and help us fill in the blanks.”