WRITER: Chris Conde

3 men charged with aggravated robbery

Three men have been charged with aggravated robbery after allegedly stealing a backpack at knifepoint on Thursday morning. Lawrence Police Lt. David Ernst said that on Thursday morning, a man sleeping in his car in the 3000 block of West Sixth Street was woken up by three men with knives. The suspects reportedly stole the man's backpack and drove away, Ernst said. Ernst said officers interviewed the man at ...

Snow expected to begin around midnight; 4 to 6 inches expected on Thursday

Lawrence could receive another 4 to 6 inches of snow on Thursday. Light snow is expected to start after midnight on Thursday morning, said Matt Flanagan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka. He said the snowfall would be heavier from around 6 a.m. until about noon, and that it would taper off later. Light snow could last into the evening. “We’re not expecting too much impact from ...

Man accused of attempted murder back in jail one week before trial

A Lawrence man has been arrested on months-old firearm and drug charges a week before he was set to stand trial for attempted murder. Around 6:40 p.m. Friday, Alejandro Martinez-Diaz, 19, was arrested on a warrant for charges going back to October 2021, according to the Douglas County sheriff’s booking log. As previously reported by the Journal-World, Martinez-Diaz was arrested on Oct. 1, 2021, on suspicion ...

At hearing for murder defendant, witnesses describe drug deal that turned violent and its aftermath

Moments after a man was shot on Kentucky Street last September, a neighbor took photos of the scene that showed the man in his last moments — lying on the ground and gasping for breath. That neighbor testified at a court hearing Tuesday that he also took photos of someone getting out of a car, taking a roll of money out of the shooting victim's pocket and driving away. The neighbor was one of several ...

Suspect arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in deadly New Year's crash in Lawrence

A Lawrence man has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder after a fatal New Year’s Day crash. The man, Adrian Joel Martinez, 38, of Lawrence, was arrested around 8:15 p.m. Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder and DUI aggravated battery for a crash that killed James Henderson Jr., 20, and seriously injured two others, said Lt. David Ernst with the Lawrence Police Department. As previously ...

Lawrence car chase ends with crash into fire hydrant, tree

A Lawrence man ran over a fire hydrant, then struck a tree while fleeing from deputies Monday night, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said. The man, Derek James Gleason, 29, was booked into the Douglas County Jail after allegedly leading sheriff’s deputies on a chase through the city, said sheriff's spokesman George Diepenbrock. Around 7:50 p.m., a deputy saw a southbound vehicle run a red light at a high ...