A Douglas County jury on Friday found Lawrence Rieke not guilty of four misdemeanor charges of providing alcohol to minors, including a teen who was convicted in a manslaughter case.

Rieke, 54, Merriam, was accused of buying alcohol for his two stepsons and two of their friends during the afternoon of Sept. 16, 2000, while they were gathered at The Wheel, 507 W. 14th St.

Rieke and other family members and friends had received tickets for a suite at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium, where a football game was played that night, according to testimony.

That night, Rieke’s 16-year-old stepson, Sean Scott, was driving to his Johnson County home on Kansas Highway 10 when he lost control of his car. The car crossed the median and struck a westbound car driven by Felicia Bland, 39, Lawrence. Bland was killed.

In August 2001, in Johnson County District Court, Scott was placed on five years probation for involuntary manslaughter.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Saturday’s Journal-World.