GUILTY KS - Nicole Fisher, Luke Davis & Matthew Leavitt, Slain, Topeka, 12 March 2017

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Thank goodness they have the suspect's in custody. I just can't wrap my head around anyone dying for stuff that's so stupid. The story doesn't say this is drug related, but the circumstances sure sound like it was drug related. This surely couldn't have been worth the death of 3 people and imprisonment of 5 others. And with it being a triple homicide, most of them will probably get life or worse. Such a waste.


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policyoftruth501 said:

Thank goodness they have the suspect's in custody. I just can't wrap my head around anyone dying for stuff that's so stupid. The story doesn't say this is drug related, but the circumstances sure sound like it was drug related. This surely couldn't have been worth the death of 3 people and imprisonment of 5 others. And with it being a triple homicide, most of them will probably get life or worse. Such a waste.


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The youngest charged and the youngest victim was 19. I wonder if there is some background between the two?

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The five men arrested in connection with a triple homicide in north Topeka, made their first court appearance Tuesday.

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Mays, and Flowers have been charged with three counts of premeditated first degree murder, while Lowry, and Krahn were charged with first degree murder with unknown circumstances. All four have a bond of $1-million dollars.

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more at ... http://www.wibw.com/content/news/416171044.html


http://ksnt.com/2017/03/13/victims-family-speaks-out-after-triple-killing-in-north-topeka/

He says Mays and Leavitt, were best friends. They met at a park Saturday evening, planning to hand out.

Then, according to Mays, they were kidnapped, “The other people took his stuff. They stole his stuff. Why would they do that if they were buddies?”

He says all those things were inside Leavitt’s car, the 2006 red Pontiac G6, which police say they are still looking for.

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more at ... http://www.wibw.com/content/news/416171044.html

During his first appearance Tuesday, one of four men charged with three counts of murder in a triple homicide late Sunday blurted out that he was innocent.

“I’m innocent,” said Brian Flowers, shrugging.

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more at ... http://cjonline.com/news/local/crim...a-triple-murder-defendant-tells-judge-tuesday

Sounds like we don't know the whole story. It will be interesting to see how this case proceeds and what evidence comes out. I would like to know what they find in the car and what story that evidence supports.


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Judge consolidates hearing for North Topeka triple murder defendants

There will be one — not four — hearings to determine whether four defendants will stand trial for murder in the deaths of three people at a North Topeka home in March.

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The preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin July 11 and is expected to last at least two days.

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Joseph Krahn pleads no contest in North Topeka killings; deal seeks 150-year sentence - October

A 34-year-old man pleaded “no contest” Friday to charges of first-degree murder in a North Topeka triple homicide, a move likely to result in a lifetime in prison.

Joseph Aaron Krahn, his defense counsel and prosecutors agreed to recommend a “Hard 50” sentence for each of the three murder counts, Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay said during a hearing in Shawnee County District Court.

Kagay told District Judge David Debenham both parties agreed to recommend that the sentences run consecutively, for a total of 150 years in prison without eligibility for parole.

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Krahn will never leave prison for series of planned, ‘brutal’ murders in North Topeka - November

“This was a planned, intentional act,” the judge said during the 25-minute sentencing. “You followed through on that plan. The consequences of taking their lives will affect (the victims’) friends and family forever.”

Krahn must serve each 50-year sentence one after the other. Krahn can’t receive good-time credit against the prison terms, the judge said. Krahn did receive 249 days of credit for the time he has been incarcerated since he was arrested.

That means Krahn would be eligible for release in 2167.

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The other four defendants are:

— Brian Joseph Flowers, 33, two counts of first-degree murder and other charges. Jury trial starts March 19.

— Joseph P. Lowery, 31, three counts of first-degree murder and other charges. Jury trial starts April 9.

— Shane Andrew Mays, 19, two counts of first-degree murder. Jury trial starts March 12.

— Kora L. Liles, 31, three counts of first-degree murder and other charges. Jury trial starts on Feb. 12.

Hearing sheds new light on triple homicide, rape revenge the possible motive - September

Witness to north Topeka triple murder tells what happened inside the house - September

District attorney charges fifth defendant, Kora Liles, with two counts of first-degree murder tied to triple homicide - September

Prosecutors reject proposed plea deal in north Topeka triple murder

http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Prosecutors-reject--476723953.html

Through his defense attorney, Joseph P. Lowry, who is charged with three murders, offered a plea agreement to a Shawnee County prosecutor on Monday but the prosecutor rejected it, his attorney told a judge Tuesday.

By the time court ended on Tuesday, Lowry's trial was postponed five months after attorneys noted the large amount of discovery linked to cell phone evidence. The trial had been scheduled to start April 9 but now will start on Sept. 24.

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Kora L. Liles will stand trial starting June 11.

Brian Joseph Flowers will be tried starting July 23

Shane Andrew Mays will face a jury starting Sept 24.

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Flowers’ projected two-week jury trial had been scheduled to begin July 23. Now the trial will start on Oct. 22.

Liles’ jury trial is to start on June 11.

Joseph P. Lowry, 31, and Shane Andrew Mays, 20, have trials scheduled to start on Sept. 24.

http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Fl...ling-pushed-back-until-October-482423421.html

Judge allows drug charges added to triple homicide trial

Defendant Kora L. Liles’ trial starts on June 11.

Jury selection starts Monday in Liles murder trial

Kora L. Liles, 32, is charged with three counts of felony first-degree murder in the killing of each victim; three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated kidnapping; and cultivating, distributing or possessing methamphetamines and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

Twelve jurors and three alternate jurors will be chosen to hear the case.

Of the other four defendants, Joseph Aaron Krahn, 35, was sentenced Nov. 17 to three consecutive life terms of 50 years each for each victim. Krahn strangled Davis and Leavitt and asphyxiated Fisher. Krahn pleaded no contest on Oct. 19 to three counts of first-degree murder. As part of the plea agreement, other charges were dismissed.

Three other defendants are scheduled to be tried.

On Oct. 22, Brian Joseph Flowers, 33, is to go on trial charged with two counts of felony first-degree murder in the slayings of Leavitt and Fisher; two counts of aggravated kidnapping; one count of aggravated assault; and one count of aggravated robbery.

Defendants Joseph P. Lowry, 31, and Shane Andrew Mays, 20,will go on trial on Sept. 24.

Jury selection starts Monday in Liles murder trial

Liles testifies in own defense in North Topeka triple-slaying case

The violent deaths of three people resulted in part from two men reacting to allegations that a woman they knew had been sexually assaulted several weeks before the murders, an attorney for one of five defendants said Monday.

That defendant, Kora Liles, told jurors herself she did not spearhead the violence inside 115 N.W. Grant that left Luke Davis, 20; Nicole Fisher, 38; and Matthew Leavitt 19 dead.

Liles, 32, took the stand Monday in the sixth day of her murder trial. She also testified she didn’t point a gun at anyone or threaten anyone, and said she wasn’t present at N.W. Grant when the three were attacked and killed.

Liles: Sex assault smoke screen for car theft
On Tuesday, Liles focused on how protecting her honor was something of a smoke screen for another crime in the case.

“They were using that as an excuse because they stole that car,” Liles said from the witness stand. Liles was referring to Leavitt’s red Pontiac, which was stolen just after Leavitt drove it to the N.W. Grant address to run an errand.

The mother of a Topeka murder victim grieves daily for her son, she said Wednesday after a jury found Kora Liles guilty of 11 counts related to last year’s triple homicide.

Liles, 32, was found guilty of three counts each of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnappingin the deaths of Matthew Leavitt, 19, Nicole Fisher, 38, and Luke Davis, 20. They were found dead in the basement of a home at 115 N.W. Grant Street on March 12, 2017. Liles was also convicted of two drug charges related methamphetamine found in her room at the home.

'Overwhelming grief': Mother of Topeka homicide victim reacts to guilty verdict

'Overwhelming grief': Mother of Topeka homicide victim reacts to Kora Liles' guilty verdict

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said he would seek consecutive life sentences for each murder conviction. Liles would have to serve 25 years for each, or 75 years, before being eligible for parole. District Judge David Debenham will decide her sentence Sept. 5.

Closing arguments in the trial painted different pictures of Liles' involvement in the victims' deaths.

Prosecutors, calling her "the queen bee," argued that evidence showed she actively aided in the kidnapping and assault and knew what would happen when she left the house to form an alibi by appearing on Walmart surveillance video.

Defense attorney Gary Conwell, meanwhile, told jurors there was no way to know whether Liles intended for Leavitt, Fisher and Davis to die or only participated out of fear for her own life.

The attorney defending a man charged in the strangling deaths of two men and the smothering of a woman asked a judge to order a 13 News journalist and a slaying victim’s to leave a courtroom on Monday while the judge viewed photographs that might be evidence during the jury trial.

It occurred during a motion hearing of Joseph P. Lowry on whether the judge should eliminate some or all of 28 crime scene photographs the prosecution wants to show jurors illustrating the victims’ bodies.

Overall, four men and one woman were charged in the case.

Joseph Aaron Krahn, 35, pleaded no contest in October to three charges of first-degree murder, and a judge sentenced him on Nov. 17 to three consecutive life sentences of 50 years apiece for each victim he strangled or smothered to death.

Kora L. Liles, 32, was convicted of three counts of felony first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count of cultivating, distributing or possessing methamphetamines and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. She is to be sentenced on Sept. 5.

Brian Joseph Flowers, 33, will be tried starting Oct. 22 on charges of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of aggravated robbery.

Tensions rise as lawyers debate crime scene photos in Lowry murder trial

A 20-year-old man charged with two of the three slayings in a North Topeka home almost two years ago will appear in Shawnee County District Court on Nov. 28 to decide whether he will waive his right to a speedy trial tied to the charges.

The defense attorney representing Shane Andrew Mays asked Thursday that her client next appear in court before the judge for a scheduling hearing in April 2019. Mays is expected to testify during the trials of the two remaining co-defendants in March and April.

Instead of an April date, a District Court Judge scheduled the Nov. 28 appearance to address whether Mays in person would waive his right to a speedy trial.

Suspect in 2017 killings expected to waive right to speedy trial

Jurors in the Flowers case will come to court on April 19, a Friday, to fill out questionnaires, then report back to court on April 22, a Monday, to start the jury selection process.

Judge: Murder trial to draw 200 prospective jurors

On April 16, 2019, Brian Joseph Flowers said "guilty" twice in the deaths of Matthew Leavitt, 19, and Nicole Star Fisher, 38. The third murder victim was Luke Patrick Davis, 20. When Flowers, 35, made the pleas, it was three days before Flowers' jury trial was to start. On Aug. 15, Flowers appeared before a judge for a docket hearing, and Parrish scheduled Flowers to return to court on Sept. 19 for a motion hearing.

Jurors convicted Joseph P. Lowry, 33, in the three killings. Lowry was convicted of two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the slayings of Leavitt and Davis; three counts of felony first-degree murder in the slayings of Fisher, Leavitt and Davis; three counts of aggravated kidnapping of the victims; one count of aggravated assault of Leavitt; and one count of aggravated robbery of Leavitt. On July 5, Lowry was sentenced to two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and one count of felony first-degree murder, a total of 125 years. The two remaining alternate counts of felony first-degree murder were dismissed. Lowry was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in an aggravated kidnapping conviction; 12 years and 11 months for each of the other two kidnapping convictions and running concurrent to the first kidnapping conviction; four years and 11 months for the aggravated robbery of a car; and 12 months for an aggravated assault.

On June 20, 2018, jurors convicted Kora L. Liles, 33, of three counts of felony first-degree murder; three counts of aggravated assault; three counts of aggravated kidnapping; and cultivating, distributing or possessing methamphetamine; and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. Liles was sentenced on May 10 to three consecutive life terms of at least 25 years each in the murder convictions and 693 months for eight other consecutive convictions tied to the murders.

Joseph Aaron Krahn, 36, was sentenced Nov. 17, 2018, to three consecutive life terms of 50 years each for the killing of each victim. Krahn earlier pleaded no contest to three counts of premeditated first-degree murder.

Shane Andrew Mays, 21, faces two charges of premeditated first-degree murder, but those charges haven't been resolved.

Defendant wants to withdraw pleas to two murders