Boothe charged with first-degree murder

? Raymond Boothe was charged Thursday morning with first-degree murder in Leavenworth County District Court.

The 34-year-old Cameron, Mo., man is accused of stabbing his son, Levi Booth, age 11, in the chest and back and leaving him Tuesday night at the edge of the roadway on the Kansas Turnpike.

At some point after that, the victim was struck and killed by a passing vehicle about 3 miles east of Lawrence at milepost 207 in the westbound lanes. The boy’s body was found at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

During a court hearing Thursday morning before Judge Frederick Stewart, Gary Fuller, a Leavenworth attorney was appointed to represent Raymond Boothe.

Fuller requested that Boothe undergo a mental evaluation, which the judge approved. The evaluation will be conducted at Larned State Hospital.

A hearing concerning Boothe’s mental competency to stand trial was set for 9 a.m. Oct. 3 in Leavenworth County District Court.

No bond was set because Boothe was undergoing a mental evaluation.

Boothe will go to Larned as soon as the state hospital can accept him, according to Leavenworth County Attorney Frank Kohl.