Plane crash probe still in its early stages

It could be months before a cause is found in the airplane crash Tuesday that killed a Lawrence man, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday.

Scott Radford, 41, was killed Tuesday when his single-engine Cessna 182 crashed near Gettysburg, S.D. Investigators from the NTSB’s Chicago regional office on Friday wrapped up a three-day investigative trip to the crash site.

Now, investigators will gather all of their findings and send them to the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C. A spokesman for the NTSB’s Chicago office said it could be up to six months before the process was completed.

Funeral services for Radford will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.

Resident arrested on molestation charges

A 28-year-old Lawrence man is in the Douglas County Jail facing potential charges that he molested three children.

A detective from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested the man early Friday morning. In the afternoon, the suspect appeared by videoconference before Douglas County District Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel.

Kittel found there was probable cause to believe the man committed three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

She set the man’s bond at $100,000, cash or surety. As a condition of bond, Kittel ordered the suspect to stay away from the address that appears on jail records as his home address.

The man wasn’t formally charged Friday.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Brad Burke told Kittel prosecutors might add a charge of rape before filing a formal complaint, probably early next week.

Lawrence teen jailed on rape, battery charges

A 19-year-old Lawrence man was jailed Friday after being arrested on charges of rape and aggravated battery.

Lawrence Police Sgt. Mike Pattrick said the charges stemmed from an incident between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Friday.

A 28-year-old Lawrence woman was beaten and sexually assaulted on private property in northwest Lawrence, police said.

Lawrence Police detectives and officers found and interviewed the suspect Friday afternoon. He was arrested after the interview.

The man and victim did not know each other but had apparently seen each other briefly Thursday night.

The case has been forwarded to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.