KANSAS CITY — The family of a slain Kansas City, Kansas, police captain has filed a formal complaint after the killer pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.
KMBC-TV reports that Capt. Robert Melton’s fiancee, Zeta Bates, says complaints were sent to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and the Kansas Disciplinary Administrator’s Office. The family is upset after Jamaal Lewis pleaded guilty last week to first-degree felony murder in Melton’s 2016 death, which could make him eligible for parole after 25 years. Lewis originally faced a capital murder charge that would have sent him to prison for life without parole if convicted.
Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said in a statement last week that a defendant can plead guilty to charges at any time and that the state didn’t enter into plea negotiations.
