SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a woman.
Just before 8a.m. Monday, deputies were notified of a woman lying next to the road near the train tracks in the 10800 block of South Meridian in Wichita, according to Lt. Lin Dehning with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department. Responding deputies noticed trauma to the woman’s body and she was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Authorities did not release the cause of death or the victim’s name. The sheriff’s department does consider this a suspicious death and are asking for help from the public.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area of the railroad crossing in the 10800 block of South Meridian between 11:00 pm, Sunday October 29, and 8:00 am, Monday October 30, is asked to call Sheriff’s Investigations at 316-660-5300, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
JOHNSON COUNTY —A former Kansas City resident pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns, according to Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Beall for the District of Kansas.
According to documents filed with the court, Alfred Reece, 58, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Kansas City.
From approximately 2013 through 2015, Reece prepared federal tax returns for individuals, claiming false business income and losses, medical and dental expense deductions, job-related expenses, charitable donations and other fraudulent items. Reece also concealed himself as the preparer on these fraudulent returns by falsely claiming that they were self-prepared. Reece admitted to causing a tax loss of between $550,000 and $1.5 million.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Julie A. Robinson. Reece faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on each count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — One of the three co-defendants in a Topeka shooting death has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 36-year-old Use David Laeli Jr. admitted Friday to reckless involuntary manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in an unrelated case. He faces more than 11 years in prison when he’s sentenced in February.
Laeli was accused of ordering the disposal of the pistol used to shoot 28-year-old Xavier Patrick McCollough. Prosecutors say the shooting happened after McCollough was lured in July 2016 to a parking lot, where Laeli and two others waited.
Prosecutors say McCollough then drove out of the lot before crashing into an apartment building. Another suspect was upset because he was dating a woman that McCollough was going to see that night.
Racist graffiti found at Kansas City church-photo KCTV
KANSAS CITY – A church maintenance worker was charged in federal court Monday with arson after setting a fire at Concord Cultural Center and spray-painting racist graffiti on the front of the adjoining church, Concord Fortress of Hope, in an effort to cover up his burglary, according to Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
Nathaniel D. Nelson, 48, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Nelson remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.
Nelson was a member of the church who was employed as a maintenance worker at the church and cultural center, located at 11040 W. Longview Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. Firefighters were called by a church employee and responded to the cultural center on Sunday morning, Oct. 29, 2017. A fire had occurred in an office inside the building but a sprinkler had activated and extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of firefighters. Investigators concluded that an office chair and other ordinary combustible material had been intentionally ignited using an open flame.
Investigators also discovered racist graffiti spray-painted on the front of the church. A racial slur, the letters “KKK” and a symbol similar to a swastika were visible from the main entrance into the parking lot as members of the congregation arrived for church for Sunday morning services.
The digital video recorder for the video surveillance system that monitored the foyer area and the cultural center’s interior and exterior cameras was unplugged and no longer recording when examined by investigators. Investigators determined that the DVR system lost power sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, and had been intentionally unplugged.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a review of the DVR system revealed that Nelson was in the foyer area shortly before the DVR system was deactivated. A second DVR, which was still powered on, recorded the video surveillance footage for the interior and exterior cameras located inside and outside of the church, which were separate from the cameras located in the cultural center and foyer. The second DVR, the affidavit says, captured video footage of Nelson spray painting the front of the church. KCPD Deputy Chief Karl Oakman, a member of the church, identified Nelson from the video surveillance footage.
Investigators then interviewed Nelson. According to the affidavit, Nelson told investigators that he went to his office in the cultural center to smoke crack cocaine sometime after 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. At some point after getting high, Nelson said he went into the church office area and attempted to force his way into the finance office to steal money. (The finance office was the only room in the church and cultural center he did not have keyed access.) Nelson wasn’t able to break into the finance room so he proceeded into two adjacent offices using his key and took $140 from one office and $94 from another office. Nelson told investigators that he then left the church to purchase more crack cocaine.
Nelson stated that after he purchased four crack rocks for approximately $125, he returned to the church to get high a second time. After Nelson smoked the crack cocaine in his office, he said, he retrieved a pair of bolt cutters, a wrench and a drill bit and attempted to break into the vending machines located in the gymnasium of the cultural center. Nelson said he was only able to steal $2 from the vending machines.
Nelson told investigators that at some point after breaking into the vending machines he left the church to purchase additional crack cocaine from the same source. Nelson told investigators that after he purchased approximately four additional crack rocks he again returned back to the church to get high. Nelson said he only paid $75 for the additional crack cocaine with the promise that he would provide his source $200 in food stamps at a later time.
During the interview, the affidavit says, Nelson admitted to investigators that he intentionally unplugged one DVR system but did not know that video was being recorded on a separate system inside the church, which captured him spray-painting the outside of the building.
According to the affidavit, Nelson told investigators that he intentionally set a fire inside the office area of the cultural center using clothing and paper towels that he had laid on or next to an office chair. Nelson also told investigators he spray-painted the front of the church with inflammatory graffiti and intentionally set the fire to create a diversion and throw investigators off.
JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on felony charges.
On Saturday afternoon, sheriff’s deputies took a report of a burglary to a vehicle and theft of property in rural Jackson County, according to a media release. Within an hour of the report, deputies arrested Todd Gordon Severt, Jr., 30, Topeka at a Shawnee County pawn shop.
Severt is being held on a $25,000 Bond for burglary and felony theft charges. The stolen property that was allegedly found in the possession of Severt was returned to the owner.
Police on the scene of Sunday’s investigation-photo courtesy KWCH
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Three Newman University baseball players are temporarily suspended from sports activities while Wichita police investigate the death of a woman whose body was found in a truck.
The woman’s body was found early Sunday near the off-campus home of one of the students.
The university said in a news release Monday that the three students are still attending classes.
The woman was not a Newman student.
Wichita officer Charley Davidson says a man who doesn’t know the woman found her inside a pickup truck that belongs to her family. He says there was no sign of obvious trauma at the scene.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a woman.
Just after 8a.m. Sunday police were dispatched to the 1400 block of south Topeka Street in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. A 37-year-old man told police he found a 20-year-old woman unresponsive inside of a pickup.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck belonged to the woman’s family according to Davidson. He did not release the woman’s name or how the man happened to notice her in the truck.
Anyone with information is asked to please call Crime Stoppers at 267-2111 or Wichita police.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a woman.
Just after 8a.m. Sunday police were dispatched to the 1400 block of south Topeka Street in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. A 37-year-old man told police he found a 20-year-old woman unresponsive inside of a pickup.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police released no additional details Sunday. Anyone with information regarding the case please call Crime Stoppers at 267-2111 or Wichita Police.
TREGO COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:45a.m. Monday in Trego County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 GMC passenger truck driven by James M. Opat, 75, WaKeeney, was eastbound on M Road one mile west of U.S. 283.
The driver lost control of the vehicle as it traveled over some washboards in the road. The truck entered the south ditch and overturned.
Opat was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Schmidt Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges.
On Friday, police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a white 2004 Lincoln for multiple traffic violations in the 600 block of N 9th Street in Garden City. The vehicle failed to yield to police, and a pursuit was initiated, according to a media release.
As officers continued to attempt to stop the vehicle the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Jake Duran of Pueblo, CO., ran the stop sign at 12th and Fulton Street and struck an eastbound blue Dodge passenger vehicle.
The suspect continued to flee. Near 8th and St. John Street, the suspect vehicle began to smoke and became disabled.
The suspect turned into the parking lot at 400 N 8th Street and exited the vehicle while it was still in motion. The vehicle continued to travel through the parking lot and struck an unoccupied parked Honda Pilot.
Police began a foot pursuit south through the parking lot. The suspect ran into the Legends Beauty Salon, 109 West Grant Avenue where he was arrested after a brief struggle.
Police also arrested a 21-year-old female passenger in the vehicle, Alexis Valverde of Pueblo, Colorado. She fled the vehicle after it struck the parked car.
There were no injuries during the pursuit. Officers conducted a search of the suspect vehicle and located several items of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.
Duran is being held in the Finney County Jail and could face the possible charges of Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Fleeing and Eluding, Driving Under the Influence, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Possession of Opiates. He also had a felony warrant from Pueblo Colorado for Possession of a firearm by a felon, assault with a deadly weapon, Possession of a controlled substance, and manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance.
Valverde faces possible charges of Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Opiates and Criminal Use of a Weapon.
RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue the investigating of battery involving high school students in Manhattan.
The Riley County Police Department learned of the incident involving members of the Manhattan High School football team on Thursday evening in the 3300 block of Robinson Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release from police.
Officers reported multiple teenage suspects kicked and hit two victims, a 15-year-old and 16-year-old boys.
On Monday, USD 383 spokesperson Michelle Jones confirmed members of the Manhattan High School football team were involved and the school district is working with law enforcement on the investigation.
Officers are in the process of filing a battery report and did not release additional details on Monday. The
Manhattan football team defeated Wichita East 21-0 the night after the incident. The team is schedule to host Derby on October 3. The football coach has not issued a formal statement on any disciplinary action for players involved.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is being honored this week at the U.S. university where he earned degrees in business and economics.
Santos will be at the University of Kansas on Tuesday to receive an honorary degree and speak at a public event.
Santos won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end his country’s civil war after five decades of bloodshed. The conflict left more than 200,000 dead.
University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod described Santos as an “inspirational leader.”
Santos was born in Bogota, Colombia, and arrived at the University of Kansas in 1969. After graduating, he studied at the London School of Economics and Harvard University. He last visited the University of Kansas in 2012, when he received a distinguished alumni award.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a woman.
