Lawrence Man Convicted of Threatening U.S. Congressman
Topeka, KS– A federal jury convicted a Kansas man today for making death threats against a United States congressman. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chase Neill, 32, of Lawrence was found guilty of one count of threatening to murder U.S. Representative Jake LaTurner of Kansas. Neill is scheduled to be sentenced […]
Attorney General Drummond Files Request for More Time Between Executions
Oklahoma City, OK – Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a motion with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals requesting that seven impending executions be conducted with more time between each event. Drummond said he is grateful for the hard work of Department of Corrections (DOC) professionals who are spending many days each month in […]
Attorney General Drummond to take on Prosecution of Epic Charter School Founders, Former CFO
Oklahoma City, OK – Attorney General Gentner Drummond has notified Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna that his office will take on the responsibility of prosecuting Epic Charter School’s two founders and their former chief financial officer. “As you and I have discussed and as I have said publicly, I believe the Office of Attorney […]
Kansas Found 188 Catholic Clergy Accused of Sex Abuse. Now the State’s Getting Pressed for Names
Janet Patterson remembers attending a Catholic Mass at her parish near Wichita and hearing the congregation’s newly assigned priest lecture the parishioners. “I remember him saying, ‘You must never criticize the priest,’” she said. “I was sitting there in the church with my son, Eric, and my other kids and my husband. And I remember […]
Report Finds Catholic Church in Kansas Covered Up Sexual Abuse of Children by Priests for Decades
A Kansas Bureau of Investigation report released late Friday documents a chronic pattern of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the state, and the church’s history of protecting its clergy. The report released by the state attorney general’s office said dioceses across the state frequently failed to follow church policies regarding allegations of sexual abuse by […]
Kansas City Man Arrested for Suspected 2014 Homicide
Lansing, KS – Following an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, a Kansas City man was arrested for the suspected 2014 murder of a 16-year-old girl. On Friday, Jan. 6, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Billy I. Dupree, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas, was arrested for […]
Kidnapping Update
Manhattan, KS. – Further investigation into Joseph Varvel, 25, of Manhattan, and Zane Thomas, 27, of Junction City, has led to our discovery of a separate incident on January 1, 2023, involving the same victim as the January 2, 2023, kidnapping on Gatlinburg Way in Manhattan. Varvel and Thomas were reported to have held […]
Fort Scott Woman Sentenced to Prison, More than $500,000 in Restitution for Mistreatment of Elder Person
Fort Scott, KS– A Fort Scott woman has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay more than $500,000 in restitution for her conviction on a charge of mistreatment of an elder person, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today. Kenna G. Smith, 65, of Fort Scott, was sentenced on one count of mistreatment of […]
Douglas County Halts Prosecution of Murder Case that Defense Attorney says used ‘Junk Science’
Topeka, KS — The Douglas County district attorney will not retry a Eudora woman for murder after questionable conclusions from a medical examiner led to concern that she was improperly convicted. Carrody Buchhorn, a day care worker, was convicted in 2018 for killing 9-month-old Ollie Ortiz while in Buchhorn’s care. The case hinged on testimony […]
Attorney General O’Connor Announces Settlements with Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors, and Retailers
Oklahoma City, OK– Attorney General John O’Connor announced four new settlements in the State’s opioid litigation. With these new settlements, Oklahoma has now recovered more than $900 million in opioid settlements. Oklahoma now ranks near the top of all states in total funds recovered on a per capita basis from the companies alleged to bear […]