Faculty honor planned at Saturday’s game

Eight Kansas University faculty members have been announced as finalists for this year’s Honor for an Outstanding Progressive Educator award.

The winner of the award, the only KU honor bestowed exclusively by students for teaching excellence, will be announced during Saturday’s KU-Texas football game at Memorial Stadium.

Finalists are Matthew Buechner, associate professor of biological sciences; Robert Carlson, professor of chemistry; Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare; Mark Haug, lecturer in business; Stephen Ilardi, associate professor of psychology; Charles Marsh, associate professor of journalism; Edward McBride, lecturer in engineering and Tim Shaftel, professor of business.

The awards have been given since 1959. Members of the Board of Class Officers will select the winner based on interviews with nominees.

Crime

Suspect in murder case expected to take stand

A Lawrence man charged with first-degree murder is expected to take the stand this morning in his own defense.

The defense attorney for Lafayette D.E. Cosby, 25, has said Cosby shot acquaintance Robert T. Martin on April 4 at a late-night party at Jefferson Commons, 2511 W. 31st St., because he knew Martin was planning to shoot another man at the party.

Prosecutors on Wednesday finished laying out their case against Cosby with one exception: They’re still trying to find a Topeka man they say heard Cosby confess to the killing the day after the shooting.

If they’re able to find him, he will testify today.

Two of Martin’s family members walked out of court Wednesday morning as Lawrence Police detective David Axman held up the blood-soaked shirt and undershirt retrieved from Martin at the crime scene.

Courts

Two charged in attack on drug case witness

Kansas City, Kan. — Two men were charged in federal court Wednesday with attempting to kill a federal witness in an April 29 incident in Lawrence.

Mark Manuel McGee, 32, Kansas City, Mo., and Kyle Anthony Crayton, 24, Kansas City, Kan., each were charged with counts of conspiring and attempting to kill a witness in a federal criminal case and one count of discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a witness.

According to the indictments, Crayton drove a stolen car head-on into the witness’ vehicle at an intersection in North Lawrence. He then shot at the witness, who was wounded in both legs.

Indictments allege Crayton was recruited by McGee to shoot the witness to prevent her from testifying in a drug trafficking case against Andre Lamar Ivory. Ivory came up with the idea to kill the witness, prosecutors allege.