photo by: Theatre Lawrence

Louise ImMasche as Hedwig in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."

Updated at 3:52 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15

Nearly three months after a driver reportedly crossed a highway’s center line and killed an area actor in a head-on collision, little is publicly known about the investigation into the fatality, but Douglas County District Attorney Dakota Loomis said he would make a charging decision when he has all the evidence.

The Journal-World’s records requests to the Kansas Highway Patrol have been denied, with a spokesperson for the agency saying that all records related to the crash that killed 41-year-old Louise ImMasche — even the once-public initial crash report — are “on lockdown.”

But the spokesperson, Staci Warner, did suggest charges may be forthcoming.

“Unfortunately, we must deny your request due to Potential Criminal Prosecution,” Warner said in an email Thursday morning.

Loomis told the Journal-World later Thursday that when his office receives an affidavit and all necessary reports, he would make a charging decision “based upon all the evidence presented.”

Loomis said that when he was contacted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office about the fatality that he immediately went to the scene and met with Kansas Highway Patrol troopers and Douglas County sheriff’s deputies and directed his staff “to assist law enforcement with any potential legal issues.”

“Our office has been in contact with KHP consistently since that day and have started to receive investigative reports, body cam footage, and audio recordings,” Loomis said in an email. “I have also met with counsel for the family of Louise ImMasche and provided multiple updates regarding the status of the investigation.”

ImMasche, who was heading home to Kansas City, Missouri, after an Oct. 24 performance of “The Rocky Horror Show” at Theatre Lawrence, was hit head-on at the 384-mile marker on U.S. Highway 40, also known as the South Lawrence Trafficway or Kansas Highway 10 — between West 27th Street and Iowa Street. The crash occurred shortly before 10:30 p.m., when 23-year-old Eliseo J. Munoz, going westbound in a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, crossed the center line and collided with ImMasche’s 2019 Kia Forte, according to KHP’s once-available crash report.

ImMasche died at the scene, and Munoz, of Lawrence, was taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center with suspected serious injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to KHP.

Court records indicate that an Eliseo J. Munoz of the same age had multiple run-ins with the law as a juvenile in Douglas and Reno counties, including arrests for underage possession of alcohol and marijuana possession, as well as criminal trespass, interference with law enforcement, battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia and attempted possession of stolen property.

Most of the juvenile offenses were “nonadjudicated” or dismissed. But two counts of interference were adjudicated via plea, as were a drug paraphernalia charge and conspiracy possession of stolen property. Other offenses related to drug, alcohol and paraphernalia possession and attempted possession of stolen property are listed as having ended in “other termination.”

ImMasche, who used they/them pronouns, was a well-known actor in area theatrical productions, including numerous shows at Theatre Lawrence, such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “The Rocky Horror Show.” Though they lived in Kansas City at the time of their death, they had previously resided in Lawrence for many years. ImMasche also wrote two musicals, “Femme Assassin Guy” and “Run.”