Deputy’s shooting death a suicide, officials say

Olathe — A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy shot himself to death Monday afternoon in the locker room of the adult detention center.

His death was a suicide, sheriff’s officials said.

The deputy’s name has not been released pending notification of family members, and an investigation into the incident continues, Lt. Calvin Hayden said. The deputy was in his late 20s and had been with the department since November.

The deputy had just gone off duty and was in the locker room by himself about 12:40 p.m., Hayden said. Another deputy entered the room and found the body, but no one heard any gunshots.

Counselors were brought to the jail, which is near the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Olathe, to talk with other deputies, Hayden said.

Lawrence

Police investigating molestation report

Police are investigating whether a 3-year-old boy was molested at an east Lawrence residence.

The boy made comments to his mother that led her to believe he might have been inappropriately touched by a 30-year-old man sometime between April and Thursday, said Sgt. Mike Pattrick, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

Pattrick said he couldn’t comment on the boy’s relationship, if any, to the man.

Crime

Flaming car may have been stolen from lot

Sheriff’s deputies found a flaming car early Monday morning in a cornfield south of Clinton Lake.

The car may have been stolen during the weekend from a Lawrence auto dealership.

“It’s a very good possibility that this vehicle was stolen and taken out for a so-called joyride,” said Lt. Kenney Massey, a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

A passer-by reported the fire at 4:20 a.m. Monday near the intersection of county roads 1039 and 458. Massey said the car appeared to have been driven through the cornfield repeatedly.

The fire melted the car’s vehicle-identification number and destroyed all identifying marks, Massey said, but John Ellena thinks the car may be his.

He said a 1992 Saturn disappeared sometime during the weekend from the lot of his dealership, Ellena Honda, 2957 Four Wheel Drive. He valued the car at less than $2,000 and said it was about to be sent to auction.

Massey said there were no suspects.

State

Lawrence legislators to study Internet tax law

Two Lawrence legislators have been appointed to a committee that will study implementation of a controversial tax change that has upset businesses and prompted a moratorium on enforcement.

Sen. Mark Buhler, a Republican, and Rep. Paul Davis, a Democrat, were picked by their legislative leaders to serve on the panel that will work later this summer and fall on the so-called streamlined sales tax law.

Officials said the measure was needed to keep Kansas among a group of states ready to implement possible changes to collect taxes on Internet sales.

But the new law required businesses that deliver goods to start charging sales taxes based on the rate at the destination of the deliveries instead of the rate at the point of sale. Many businesses said the change would create an accounting nightmare, so Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said the law would not be enforced for six months.