photo by: Kansas Department of Corrections

Zachary Odom in 2021

A defendant accused of killing a man and injuring the man’s child while driving under the influence waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday and told the court that he is hoping for a plea deal with the state.

Zachary Odom, 29, of Tecumseh, faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of Leonard “Skip” Schupp, 51, of Oskaloosa, after an alleged DUI incident on July 18 on U.S. Highway 40 in Douglas County. Schupp’s teenage daughter was also seriously injured in the crash.

In addition to the murder charge, Odom is accused of leaving the scene of a fatality accident, two counts of aggravated battery while driving under the influence, no proof of insurance, and improper driving on a laned roadway. A count of interference with law enforcement has been dropped in an amended complaint, prosecutor Ricardo Leal told Judge Sally Pokorny.

A number of Schupp’s relatives were present Thursday morning as Odom entered the courtroom in handcuffs and shackles. Odom’s attorney, Branden Smith, told the judge that his client waived the preliminary hearing in hopes of resolving the case short of trial and because he “didn’t want the family to relive that day” by having to hear evidence in the case. At a preliminary hearing Leal would have sought to show Pokorny that there was probable cause to believe a crime had been committed and that Odom had committed it.

Smith said he was attempting to get Odom into in-patient treatment for substance abuse in the hopes that his bond of $500,000 cash or surety could eventually be lowered to an own-recognizance bond, but Pokorny noted that the request was premature.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said that the wreck involved three vehicles on U.S. 40. Odom’s 2012 Ford Focus was westbound around 12:45 p.m., but went into the eastbound lanes and struck a cargo van driven by a man from Tennessee, KHP said, then collided head-on with Schupp’s 1965 Ford F-100 pickup. Schupp died at the scene, and his 15-year-old daughter suffered serious injuries.

The cargo van driver suffered minor injuries, while Odom was seriously injured, KHP said.

Schupp was the father of three daughters. A University of Kansas graduate with a degree in environmental science, he most recently worked as the senior project manager for Blue Flame Crew LLC.

Court records indicate that Odom served time in prison for aggravated battery in a 2019 case involving a 3-year-old.

Schupp’s family has filed a lawsuit for wrongful death, and a judge is expected to soon consider a settlement in that case.