photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Major C. Edwards

A Lawrence man who was on parole in connection with a 2006 killing was sentenced to more prison time on Wednesday for a 2023 incident in which he was charged with a sex crime that was later pleaded down to a nonsexual crime.

The man, Major Cornelious Edwards, 45, was convicted in 2010 of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Lawrence hip-hop artist Anthony “Clacc” Vital, 28, on Oct. 14, 2006, as the Journal-World reported. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was paroled in 2022. Edwards had testified against his codefendant, Durrell Jones, and said that he only led Jones to meet Vital and that Jones pulled the trigger. Jones’ trial ended in a mistrial and the state declined to retry Jones while Edwards had already entered into a plea agreement with the state for his testimony.

Edwards was arrested while on parole on June 10, 2023, and charged with felony aggravated sexual battery, a midlevel charge that could have resulted in a minimum 10-year prison sentence and a requirement to register as a sex offender.

Edwards pleaded guilty in April to a reduced charge of aggravated battery with no sexual component. Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez issued a press release at the time of his plea that said Edwards on June 10, 2023, while naked, broke into a then 19-year-old woman’s bedroom and tackled her to the ground. Another woman was present at the time and intervened, then called the police, according to the release. Valdez said the plea agreement showed the office’s commitment to ensuring safety and holding violent offenders accountable.

“Our commitment remains unwavering to ensuring safety in our community and holding those accountable who commit violent offenses,” Valdez said in the release.

Judge Stacey Donovan sentenced Edwards on Friday to 21 months in prison and awarded him 389 days, about 13 months, of time served in the Douglas County Jail. She said that he would be eligible for 20% good time while in prison. If Edwards is granted that good time by the Kansas Department of Corrections, he will be subject to about four months of additional prison time.

Donovan said she hopes Edwards uses his prison time to think about his life choices.

“This crime was violent,” Donovan said.

The police affidavit for Edwards was sealed early on in the case so few details of the incident are immediately available, including why the case was pleaded down to such a degree. The Journal-World has requested court records for more information.

Prior to sentencing Edwards, Donovan asked the state if the victim had provided a statement to be read at sentencing. Assistant District Attorney Samantha Foster said that the victim had not provided a statement and did not wish to be present.

“She would just like this case to be completed,” Foster said.

Edwards then told the court that he was sorry for his actions.

Besides the voluntary manslaughter conviction, Edwards has additional felony convictions for drug distribution in 2001 in Douglas County and battery on a corrections officer in 2015 in Pawnee County, Kansas. He was also convicted in 2008 in the U.S. District Court of Kansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm.