WICHITA- A registered sex offender from Wichita was sentenced Thursday to 195 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Jeremy Michael Schmidt, formerly known as Jeremy Michael Davis, 41, Wichita, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In 2013, Schmidt was convicted in Florida on a possession of child pornography charge and registered as a sex offender under the name Jeremy Michael Davis. He later changed his name to Jeremy Michael Schmidt.

Schmidt came to the attention of investigators in Wichita when they received four separate Cyber Tipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators identified emails in which Schmidt provided links to child pornography.

By STEPHEN KORANDA

Attorneys for two convicted murderers argued this week that the Kansas Supreme Court should overturn their death sentences.

Jonathan and Reginald Carr were sentenced to death for the 2000 murders of four people in Wichita.

Sarah Ellen Johnson, an attorney representing Jonathan Carr, called the original proceedings 15 years ago “filled” with errors to the point where it wasn’t a fair trial.

“Did the accumulation of errors have any effect on the jurors’ verdict? I don’t see how it couldn’t have,” she said.

Attorney Debra Wilson argued that one of the errors blocked Reginald Carr from offering a complete defense.

“How reliable is a sentence of death from a jury that wasn’t given access to the information?” Wilson asked.

Attorneys for both brothers pointed to the fact that they were tried and sentenced together as one of the problems. However, David Lowden, arguing for the state of Kansas, said the issues in question would not have affected the outcome.

“Any error … pales in comparison to the strength of the evidence,” Lowden said.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said some of the alleged problems at the trial were not actually errors at the time. He said legal precedent has changed.

This is the latest step in a long legal battle. The state Supreme Court previously overturned the death sentences, but they were later reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bennett said the long time frame is to make sure the process is careful and accurate.

“It is a slow process by design. I don’t think that there is a fast track to the death chamber,” Bennett said.

The case also became a campaign issue in last year’s judicial retention elections.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, and kcur.org, partners in the Kansas News Service.

 

SHAWNEE COUNTY – A Kansas High Patrol trooper was injured in an accident just before 5:30 Friday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Natasha McCurdy, 22, Lebo, was southbound on U.S. 75 just south of Topeka Boulevard.

The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the road to the right and overturned.

McCurdy was transported to St. Francis Hospital.
She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SUMNER COUNTY – A Kansas man avoided injury when an airplane stalled just after 6:30p.m. Friday in Sumner County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Europa-Classic piloted by Danny C. Lacoss, 66, Mulvane, was attempting to land when the air speed got too low.

The fixed wing, single engine aircraft stalled on final approach, entered an uncontrollable descent, and struck the ground.

Lacoss was the only person on the aircraft. He was not injured.

No additional details were released late Friday.

SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect for DUI and other charges after a domestic dispute.

Just before 4p.m. Thursday, deputies were called to the 100 block of Mill in New Cambria after report of a domestic disturbance, according to the Saline County Sheriff’s Department.

A man identified as Kevin Sheffield, 50, allegedly threw a beer bottle at a woman and then attempted to run over her with a vehicle.

He fled the scene but a Saline County Sheriff’s Deputy caught up with him near Salina.

Sheffield was arrested and faces charges of transporting an open container, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence, aggravated assault and domestic battery charges, according to the sheriff’s department.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Four men charged in a triple homicide in Topeka will have a joint preliminary hearing.

KSNT reports a Shawnee County judge on Friday agreed to allow one preliminary hearing to determine if one or all of the suspects will be tried.

The four are charged with first-degree murder and various other counts in the March deaths of 29-year-old Luke Davis, 38-year-old Nicole Fisher and 19-year-old Matthew Leavitt.

Thirty-four-year-old Joseph Krahn is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in all three deaths. Nineteen-year-old Shane Mays is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Fisher’s and Leavitt’s deaths. And 33-year-old Brian Flowers and 30-year old Joseph Lowry are each charged with one count of first-degree murder in Leavitt’s death.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled July 11-13.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new law signed Friday by Kansas GOP Gov. Sam Brownback enhances penalties for those who commit crimes against police officers.

We must protect those who protect us. SB 112 increases sentences for crimes committed against law enforcement. #ksleg pic.twitter.com/n5FTxFWHHU

— Sam Brownback (@govsambrownback) May 5, 2017

Lawmakers in the House and Senate worked this week to pass the bill so Brownback could sign it Friday in honor of Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day. The House passed the bill 115-9 Tuesday. The Senate passed it 38-0 Wednesday.

The law enhances penalties for non-drug felonies against police officers if the officer is on duty or if the perpetrator knows the victim is a police officer. It was passed along with measures regarding interrogation recordings and lower sentences for some drug crimes.

Some lawmakers wanted the bill to include a broader hate crimes penalty. Brownback says that’s unlikely as the legislative session nears its end.

BENTON COUNTY, ARK -Authorities say part of a human leg found in an Arkansas lake in 2001 has been identified as that of a Kansas man who drowned nearly 30 years ago.

In July of 2001, human remains consisting of a lower leg were discovered on the shoreline of Indian Creek Park at Beaver Lake in Benton County Arkansas, according to a media release from the sheriff’s department.

The remains were unidentified and therefore placed into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Database. Over the years there has been no match in the database, and the case has remained cold.

In July 2016, Detective Sergeant Hunter Petray, reopened the case and explored the possibility that the remains could belong to a drowning victim.

Reports were researched consisting of drowning victims whose bodies were never recovered. An individual by the name of Steve Dale Peterson from Kansas was identified as having drowned in the vicinity of Indian Creek Park in October 1989.

Due to the conditions of the lake, Mr. Peterson’s body was never recovered.

Sergeant Petray was able to track down living relatives of Mr. Peterson in Kansas.

Mr. Peterson’s 93-year-old mother and 69-year-old sister came to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in order to provide DNA samples for comparison.

DNA samples were developed in April 2017 and compared against the unidentified remains found at Indian Creek. The testing provided a positive match between the DNA samples and remains.

Mr. Peterson’s family was notified of the positive findings. A death certificate will now be issued for Steven Dale Peterson and the remains will be released back to the family for proper burial.

WICHITA  – A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Mark D. Busby, 48, Mulberry, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography.

In his plea, he admitted he installed software from the Ares file-sharing network on his computer and used it download child pornography and share it with other users.

An investigator with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force downloaded child pornography from Busby’s computer.

Beall commended the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Police have released details in the killing of a central Kansas man last month.

Travis Belt, 25,  has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Steven Carlson.

A probable cause affidavit released Wednesday says Belt was given permission to use Carlson’s truck the day before police found his body. The affidavit alleges Belt used the truck to steal a knife and other items from a Wal-Mart.

Police say they found Carlson’s body April 14, after his friend called 911 saying it was unusual his garage door was open. Carlson’s white truck was missing.

A phone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Belt’s attorney was not immediately returned Friday.

Belt’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to start July 17.