TOPEKA, KAN. – A Junction City man who took part in a woman’s kidnapping that led to her murder was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Christopher Pugh, 33, Junction, City, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. In his plea, he admitted participating in the kidnapping of Amanda Clemons, a 24-year-old woman whose body was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.

In his plea, Pugh admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he was one of the defendants who met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to a residence on Fort Riley where two of the defendants lived.

While at the residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. At that time, Pugh left the house alone and did not take part in the murder.

Fearing that police were coming to arrest them, defendants Drexel Woody, Larry L. Anderson and Marryssa Middleton took the victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County. Once there, Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked the victim with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow beneath the bridge and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.

Co-defendants include:

Larry L. Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Marryssa M. Middleton of Fort Riley, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Drexel A. Woody, 27, of Fort Riley, who was sentenced to 16 years.

Shantrell D. Woody of Fort Riley, Kan., who is set for sentencing Nov. 20.

Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car-jacking and have made an arrest.

Just after 9:30 Tuesday, police received a report from a victim who stated their vehicle had been taken by two known male subjects armed with a weapon in the area of Rochester Cemetery,1200 Block NW Menninger in Topeka, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.

The victim reported the suspects left east from that location in the stolen vehicle and another vehicle they arrived in.

The Kansas Highway Patrol identified a vehicle of similar description to the stolen vehicle minutes after the reported incident in the area of NE Chester and NE Sardou. The driver refused to stop for the Highway

Patrol but eventually stopped when the driver struck a median in the area of NE Chester and NE Seward.

The female driver and sole occupant was arrested for two felony warrants.
The victim of the reported aggravated robbery refused to cooperate with the investigation and refused a report once the vehicle was recovered.

Police did not release the name of the suspect or possible charges.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year-old Topeka man with little political experience is joining a crowded field of candidates seeking the nomination for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Matt Bevens announced his candidacy Tuesday, saying he was a political outsider who would serve only six years if elected. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Blevins emphasized simplifying taxes, investing in infrastructure and education and preserving liberties. He also criticized tax cuts championed by Gov. Sam Brownback and other Kansas conservatives.

Bevens only political experience is an unsuccessful bid for the Topeka City Council. He is an energy trader for Westar Energy.

Bevens joins Republicans Vernon Fields, Steve Fitzgerald, Antonio Soave and Caryn Tyson in the race. Democrats Paul Davis and Kelly Standley also are running to replace Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who is not seeking re-election.

SALINE COUNTY — An earthquake shook central Kansas on Tuesday afternoon.

The quake at 3:25p.m. measured a magnitude 2.5 and was centered approximately 19 miles southeast of Salina, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It is the first earthquake reported since a 2.6 magnitude quake on Sunday October 8, centered four miles east of Harper.

A pair of quakes shook north of Harper on September 28, according to the USGS.

There are no reports of damage or injury from Tuesday’s quake.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A lawsuit alleges that a boy sexually assaulted a girl at a suburban Kansas City middle school after school officials failed to report previous allegations against the boy to law enforcement.

The girl’s father is suing the Shawnee Mission School District. The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court alleges that the girl was assaulted “entirely against her will” earlier this year in a study hall classroom at Westridge Middle School.

The suit says the boy’s school records contain reports from three other female students about similar assaults and that none of them were reported to authorities.

Several current and former school and district officials are named as defendants. The district didn’t immediately return a phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for aggravated assault.

On Tuesday afternoon, police received a call from the 29-year-old victim who reported that Anthony Kirkbride, Salina, threw a brick at her and then rammed the front of her vehicle during an argument, according to Salina Police Sgt. James Feldman.

When an officer arrived at the scene in the 800 block of Seneca in Salina, Kirkbride was leaving in his Dodge Dakota pickup. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop on Crawford Street but Kirkbride allegedly sped off for about half of a block before finally pulling over.

Police took Kirkbride into custody for felony damage to property, aggravated assault, driving while suspended and fleeing and eluding.

Sgt. Feldman said that Kirkbride caused over $1,000 in damage to the front of the victim’s 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) – A 29-year-old Kansas City man who is charged in the deaths of two women who disappeared nearly a decade apart has pleaded not guilty.

Kylr Yust entered the plea Tuesday. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of abandoning a corpse in the deaths of 21-year-old Jessica Runions, of Raymore, and 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, of Belton.

Runions disappeared in September 2016 after leaving a party with Yust. Kopetsky disappeared in May 2007, days after taking out an order of protection against Yust.

The two women’s remains were found in April in a wooded area south of Belton in rural Cass County.

Yust is being held in Cass County on $1 million bond. His next hearing date is set for Dec. 28.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Douglas County authorities say they do not suspect foul play was involved in the death of a man whose body was found in a burning car at a campsite near Clinton Lake.

Sgt. Kristen Channel told The Lawrence Journal-World this week that detectives have concluded their investigation.

The body was found March 7 after a burning car was reported at the Rockhaven Campground. Firefighters found the body after the fire was extinguished.

At the time, the park was closed for the season.

Channel says the body has been identified as a 45-year-old man from Independence, Missouri.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State officials say an anti-gay slur was found outside the university’s student union, the latest in several vandalism incidents targeting diversity at the school.

The slur was found Monday and was removed that afternoon.

The Kansas State Kansas State University LGBT Resource Center wrote to their members:

“It saddens us to, once again, condemn the actions of an individual on our campus. As many may not be aware, there was a homophobic statement written on Bosco Plaza. This horrible and despicable statement as since been removed and we will not be sharing any of the photos of it either.

We want to say to our Queer community that we support you and your identity is something to be celebrated; not hated. You are beautiful just the way you are. Our Executive Board, the LGBT Resource Office, and the many other Queer student organizations are here if you need someone to talk to. We also encourage students to speak to Counseling Services as well.

To the greater K-State Community & Family, please continue to give love and support to our Queer community. We need strong allies to stand against this kind of bigotry and hatred.
We want to remind everyone of our Principles of Community that we hold dear at this university.”

The anti-gay vandalism occurred the same week some vandalized a temporary dwelling erected outside a residential complex for the Jewish harvest festival Sukkot.

Pat Bosco, dean of students and vice president for student life, said campus police are investigating.

In September, white supremacist fliers were found on campus. And in May, a noose was found hanging from a campus tree.

By JIM MCLEAN

Democrat Paul Davis is off to a strong fundraising start in his bid to capture the 2nd District congressional seat being vacated by Republican Lynn Jenkins, who is not seeking a sixth term.

Davis recently announced that he had raised $400,000 despite getting a late start.

He launched his campaign Aug. 15, about halfway through the most recent campaign finance reporting period.

“We have a long way to go in this campaign, but Kansans of all political stripes rallied together in an incredible outpouring of grassroots support,” Davis said in a media release issued by his campaign. “I am deeply humbled by how many of my fellow Kansans chipped in to help build our early momentum.”

Davis, a former minority leader in the Kansas House, lost a 2014 bid to unseat Republican Gov. Sam Brownback but carried the 2nd District in that race.

Kelly Standley, a resident of St. Paul and former chair of the Neosho County Democratic Party, is challenging Davis for the nomination. His campaign has not yet reported fundraising numbers.

Only one of the four candidates running for the Republican nomination in the 2nd District has posted updated totals.

Vernon Fields, a member of the Basehor City Council, has raised $9,765, according to the Federal Election Commission.

State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, a conservative Republican from Leavenworth, raised $100,800 in the March 1 to June 30 reporting period but has not released totals for the most recent period, which started July 1 and ended Sept. 30.

However, Fitzgerald sent an urgent fundraising message to supporters last week urging them to help him “stop Davis.”

“This does not look good for Kansas,” Fitzgerald said. “Davis is expecting even more funding from the DNC and other radical leftist groups.”

The 2nd District is one of two congressional districts in Kansas being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as part of an effort to regain control of the U.S. House. The 3rd District seat held by four-term Republican Kevin Yoder is the other.

More than 99 percent of the money Davis raised is from individual contributors, most of them Kansans giving $100 or less, according to the media release from his campaign.

In addition to Fitzgerald and Fields, state Sen. Caryn Tyson, from Parker, and former Kansas Secretary of Commerce Antonio Soave are running for the GOP nomination.

Soave’s campaign appears to be off to a rough start. The Kansas City Star reportedin late September that Brownback forced Soave out of his Cabinet after learning that a former business partner had sued him for misuse of funds.

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service, You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.