A Manhattan man’s trial began Tuesday with jury selection in Riley County District Court for a case charging him with aggravated sex crimes against a child. Joseph Ray Marlow, 26, is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy of a child under 14 years old and two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14 years old. All charges involve a child born in 2019. Marlow was arrested for the alleged crimes in March and pleaded not guilty to all counts in July. Judge John Bosch previously denied a motion from chief public defender Trey Bryant to…
Author: Rose Gruenbacher
Manhattan High School and the Riley County Police Department executed a random drug search Tuesday morning, with the assistance of drug detection dogs. Michele Jones, USD 383 director of communications, health and safety, said the district occasionally conducts these searches at the high school and middle schools when the dogs are available. Jones said Tuesday’s search was not instigated by a specific incident or situation. An RCPD representative said police officers were present at the request of the school. They said officers conducted a narcotic sniff resulting in reports filed for three people. No further action was taken and the…
Abby Stark thinks K-State can do more to prevent sexual assaults and promote student involvement to support victims like her. Stark, 20, from Minnesota, is a sophomore at K-State. Last year, she was navigating a trial in which she claimed a fellow student, Dylan Zeller, 19 of Leawood, sexually assaulted her. He was charged with rape and aggravated sexual battery but just before jury deliberation reached a plea deal with prosecutors. He pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. On top of navigating the court processes, she said she was judged by her peers.…
A former Riley County police officer facing multiple charges appeared in Riley County District Court on Monday for his arraignment, now scheduled for next month. Stephen Benjamin Clark, 42, of Manhattan is charged with two counts of breach of privacy disseminating sexual media of a person aged 18 years or older, harassment by telecom device and unlawful computer acts. Though he was scheduled to be arraigned for his alleged crimes on Monday, the hearing was moved to March 23. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Victor Fuentes Jr. and Katrece Johnson, both allegedly involved in connected 2024 shooting incidents on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, appeared in Riley County District Court Monday for hearings in their respective cases, but both were continued to later dates due to the number of involved cases and co-defendants with upcoming appearances. Fuentes, 20, of Compton, California, was set to be sentenced following a plea deal reached last year. He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted second-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, three counts of criminal damage to property, aggravated robbery, contributing to a child’s misconduct or depravation…
While some ICE activity was confirmed in Manhattan Thursday morning, officials on Friday denied reports of operations at schools and Kansas State University. Michele Jones, director of communications, health and safety at USD 383, told The Mercury that no federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations were active on campuses Thursday. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
TOPEKA — Almost six months after the trial of chiropractor Clark Petersen began, some of his 19 victims passed the first hurdle to create a state law requiring a person be remanded to jail when convicted of certain felonies. Senate Bill 358 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday and now will be put to vote on the Kansas Senate floor. Rep. Sydney Carlin, D-66th District helped sponsor the bill. Petersen was allowed to remain on bond after being convicted in August of 51 counts of sex crimes against former chiropractic patients, since a jury had not yet decided on the…
Riley County police director Brian Peete in a discussion about ICE on Wednesday said his sworn oath is to protect the community members and citizens in Riley County. At a town hall hosted by RCPD at the Douglass Community Center, the most pressing issues for the approximately 30 residents in attendance were community trust of police and the possibility of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in the area in the future. Those who spoke and asked questions indicated that the community has a trusting relationship with Riley County police on the whole. Peete stressed the importance of community trust…
Hunter Logan Smith was sentenced Wednesday in Riley County District Court to life in prison for the 2024 killing of 24-year-old Parker Tumlinson. The sentence was part of a plea agreement that reduced the charge from pre-meditated first-degree murder to first-degree murder. Smith will be eligible for parole after 25 years. Judge Kendra Lewison ordered Smith, 25, of Manhattan to reimburse the Crime Victims Compensation Board a total of $3,823 for restitution to Tumlinson’s family. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more Riley County news.
A Manhattan man set to be sentenced Monday for first-degree murder in Riley County District Court may now try to withdraw his guilty plea. He faces sentencing on Wednesday. Hunter Logan Smith, 25, was supposed to receive his sentence Monday afternoon, but the hearing was postponed following a 45-minute recess for Smith to speak with his attorney. Trey Bryant, chief public defender, said he needs additional time to discuss with his client whether to proceed with sentencing or withdraw his plea, and requested Judge Kendra Lewison grant a continuance to facilitate that discussion. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.…