WRITER: Kim Callahan

Cellmate of alleged Hawk shooter hoped for probation after reporting inmates with contraband; judge gives him prison

Joshua Mayo thought that telling on fellow inmates for possessing contraband in the jail might be a substantial and compelling reason to get a lighter sentence for himself — probation instead of prison —  but a Douglas County judge on Monday disagreed and ordered Mayo to 15 months in prison. As the Journal-World reported, Mayo was listed as a witness in the cases of two inmates who've been charged with ...

Teen who took nude photo of special-needs student at Free State High gets maximum sentence

A Lawrence teen who took and shared a nude photo of a special-needs student in a high school bathroom received the maximum possible sentence for his crime — six months of probation — after the victim and his family told a Douglas County judge how the incident had profoundly affected their lives. "I felt scared and embarrassed, and I don't know what to do anymore," the victim, Shawn Danger Collier, told the ...

Judge declares Lawrence man accused of murdering his grandmother incompetent to stand trial

A Lawrence man who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his grandmother has been declared incompetent to stand trial. Judge Stacey Donovan on Tuesday ordered Marcus Logan Cassella, 25, to Larned State Hospital and set a new status conference for Aug. 25 in the case. If Cassella can't get a bed at Larned by that date, the court will set a new date. Inmates frequently have to wait months for ...

Trial in 2022 double homicide gets underway in Lawrence with jury selection

Updated at 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 4 The trial in a 4-year-old double-homicide case got underway Monday morning in Douglas County District Court with jury selection and is expected to take three weeks. The first panel of 30-plus potential jurors convened in the courtroom of Judge Amy Hanley, to be followed by five more panels in coming days. Hanley intends to seat 16 jurors, a number that includes four ...

Lawrence man facing nearly 38 years in prison after pleading guilty to rapes

A Lawrence man pleaded guilty to two counts of rape Friday in Douglas County District Court and will face nearly 38 years in prison when he is sentenced this summer. The defendant, Kenneth Wayne Soap, 46, committed the crimes in 2009. Pursuant to a search warrant, police found photos and videos on his computer of Soap performing sex acts on unconscious women, according to prosecutor Megan Ahsens, who laid out a ...

Teen who was acquitted of aggravated assault 4 months ago arrested on suspicion of armed robbery

Updated at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 1 A teen who was acquitted four months ago of aggravated assault with a gun was arrested Friday on suspicion of armed robbery. Jayse Michael Sloop, 18, was taken into custody around midnight. The Douglas County Jail booking log indicates that the arrest occurred at 102 N. Eighth St., which the log lists as the Eighth Street boat ramp. However, a spokeswoman for the Lawrence ...