Police report - Shawnee-Lenexa

By SHERRI ARMEL

Special to The Star

These are the most recent police reports of personal and property crimes and injury traffic accidents in your area, listed by city and ZIP code. Times and dates reflect when the police report was taken, not when the incident occurred.

SHAWNEE

66203

Neighborhoods east of Quivira Road and south of 47th Street, including such areas as Bluejacket, McAnany Estates, Shawnee Village and Tomahawk Hills subdivisions.

■ West 49th Street, 11000 block: Stolen lawn mower. 4:30 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 64th Terrace, 11200 block: Apartment door frame kicked in during attempted theft. 3:55 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ West 55th Street at Nieman Road: Smashed traffic signal power meter. 2:59 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ West 69th Street, 11000 block: Open container; DUI arrest. 10:32 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Nieman Road, 5300 block: Open container. 4:23 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Nieman Road, 5500 block: Injury wreck. 5:01 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ Nieman Road, 6200 block: False ceiling damaged by someone falling through it in attempted theft of television. 12:50 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Nieman Road, 6500 block: Attempted theft of gumball machine. 6:19 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ Nieman Road, 6600 block: Open container; alleged minor in possession; arrest. 5:29 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Nieman Road, 7400 block: Alleged possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; arrests. 10:37 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 11300 block: DUI arrest. 11:54 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Stearns Avenue, 6700 block: Stolen financial card number used for purchases in Louisiana. 5:06 p.m. Aug. 21.

66214

Neighborhoods east of Quivira Road and south of 75th Street, including such areas as Arrowhead, Cedar Tree and Fox Run apartments.

■ West 75th Street, 10300 block: DUI arrest. 11:38 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 75th Street, 10700 block: Hit and run wreck. 5:32 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 75th Terrace, 11700 block: Alleged possession of green leafy substance and drug paraphernalia; arrest. 12:40 a.m. Aug. 21.

66216

Neighborhoods east of Lackman Road and south of 47th Street, including such areas as Lakeview Estates, Quivira Highlands, Wedgewood and Windsor subdivisions.

■ West 63rd Street, 13500 block: Gas drive-off. 2:48 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 67th Street, 14200 block: Domestic battery; trespassing. 9:45 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 71st Street, 15000 block: Magazines burned in bathtub of house under construction. 5:25 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Blackfish Parkway, 13600 block: DUI arrest following hit and run traffic wreck. 7:27 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Cottonwood Street, 6300 block: Stolen 1994 Ford Taurus. 12:46 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Halsey Street, 6500 block: DUI arrest. 12:28 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ Hauser Street, 7300 block: Property damage; arrest. 11:16 a.m. Aug. 18.

■ Quivira Road, 6800 block: DUI arrest. 3:03 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ Quivira Road, 7300 block: Stolen merchandise. 6:55 p.m. Aug. 21.

66217

Neighborhoods west of Lackman Road, including such areas as Lake Quivira, Forest Park Estates and Red Oak Hills subdivisions.

■ Midland Drive, 16300 block: Broken car window; stolen compact disc player face plate. 1:11 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 15700 block: Hit and run wreck. 11:06 p.m. Aug. 19.

66218

Neighborhoods west of Ogg Road and north of 79th Street, including such areas as Brittany Valley, Enchanted Lake Estates and Lakepointe subdivisions.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 20100 block: DUI arrest. 11:33 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 20400 block: DUI arrest. 11:27 p.m. Aug. 20.

66226

Neighborhoods west of Woodland Avenue and north of 71st Street, including such areas as City View Farms, Hillcrest Farm, Woodland Park and Woodsonia subdivisions.

■ West 66th Street, 22200 block: Stolen groceries. 1:24 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 22700 block: Hit and run wreck. 8:57 a.m. Aug. 22.

■ Wilder Road, 4700 block: Windows broken out of three cars; theft. 2:11 a.m. Aug. 18.

66227

Neighborhoods west of Woodland Avenue and north of 103rd Street, including such areas as Perimeter Park, Reynolds Acres and Virginia Village subdivisions.

■ McCoy Street, 8100 block: Stolen license tag. 8:27 a.m. Aug. 18.

LENEXA

66210

Neighborhoods east of Pflumm Road and north of College Boulevard, including Barrington Park Townhomes.

■ No incidents were reported.

66214

Neighborhoods east of Quivira Road and north of 107th Street, including such areas as the Cedar Valley subdivision.

■ Nieman Road, 8200 block: Stolen license plate. 1:02 p.m. Aug. 19.

66215

Neighborhoods west of Quivira Road and north of 115th Street, including such areas as Country Hill, Four Colonies, Greystone Estates South and Old Town Lenexa.

■ West 81st Terrace, 14800 block: Stolen flower pots. Aug. 10.

■ West 87th Street Parkway, 11200 block: Damaged lock; stolen master lock. 7:38 a.m. Aug. 10.

■ West 87th Street Parkway, 12100 block: Damaged window and neon sign. 1:23 a.m. Aug. 14.

■ West 92nd Street at Haskins Street: DUI arrest. 12:57 a.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 95th Street, 12200 block: Stolen computer hardware and software. 1 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 95th Street, 12400 block: Urinating in public; arrest. 3:34 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 95th Street at Santa Fe Trail Drive: Injury wreck. 2:31 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 97th Terrace, 12300 block: Aggravated burglary; stolen phone and jewelry; theft of $171. 7:38 p.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 99th Street, 12200 block: Graffiti on building. 2:55 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 100th Place, 12400 block: Damaged auto parts; two arrests. 7:30 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 100th Place, 12400 block: Stolen compact discs; two arrests. 7:30 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 100th Street, 11900 block: Stolen car radio; two arrests. 8 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 100th Street, 12400 block: Stolen alcohol; two arrests. 6:19 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 100th Street, 12400 block: Burglary to motor vehicle; two arrests. 6:27 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ Alden Street, 9600 block: Damaged window and door knob. 9:14 a.m. Aug. 15.

■ Century Lane, 10000 block: Burglary to motor vehicle; two arrests. 7 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ Halsey Street, 9500 block: Alleged possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; arrest. 3:20 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ Halsey Street, 9600 block: Stolen 2004 Dodge Ram. 12:17 p.m. Aug. 14.

■ Halsey Street, 9600 block: Domestic battery; arrest. 5:57 p.m. Aug. 17.

■ Lenexa Drive at Rosehill Road: Alleged possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; arrest. 1:32 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ Marshall Drive, 9300 block: Graffiti on building. 8:22 a.m. Aug. 16.

■ Pflumm Road, 9800 block: Damaged lock. 9:28 p.m. Aug. 10.

■ Quivira Road, 9700 block: Urinating in public; arrest. 1:21 a.m. Aug. 19.

■ Quivira Road, 9800 block: Broken window. 11:39 a.m. Aug. 10.

■ Santa Fe Trail Drive, 14600 block: Stolen lottery tickets; arrest. 11:07 p.m. Aug. 17.

■ Strang Line Road, 11000 block: Forgery. 11:17 a.m. Aug. 18.

66216

Neighborhoods west of Quivira Road and north of 79th Street, including such areas as Ashley Park, Brighton Lake Estates, Greystone Estates and Hobbitt Estates subdivisions.

■ No incidents were reported.

66217

Neighborhoods west of Lackman Road and north of 79th Street

■ No incidents were reported.

66219

Neighborhoods west of Lackman Road and north of 115th Street, including such areas as Brookwood Place, Country Hill West and Stoneridge subdivisions.

■ West 95th Street at Renner Boulevard: DUI arrest. 1:22 a.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 101st Terrace, 15100 block: Gas drive-off. 5:39 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ Commerce Parkway, 9700 block: Damaged auto parts. 7:02 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ Renner Boulevard, 9100 block: Stolen financial cards. 11:43 p.m. Aug. 17.

66220

Neighborhoods west of Ridgeview Road and north of 107th Street, including such areas as Falcon Ridge, Hirning Woods, Whispering Hills and Woodland Hills subdivisions.

■ West 82nd Street, 21300 block: Stolen grill. 11:45 a.m. Aug. 15.

■ Falcon Ridge Drive, 9100 block: Stolen copper wire. Aug. 15.

■ Falcon Ridge Drive, 9100 block: Damaged door and glass. Aug. 15.

66227

Neighborhoods west of Woodland Avenue and north of 103rd Street, including such areas as Clear Creek Estates, Gabriel Estates, Mac Acres and Oak Manor Estates subdivisions.

■ No incidents were reported.

MERRIAM

66203

Neighborhoods west of Interstate 35, including such areas as Edelweiss and King’s Cove subdivisions.

■ Brittany Street, 7300 block: Damaged car door, dash and ignition switch; stolen car stereo system. 8:10 a.m. Aug. 12.

■ Brittany Street, 7300 block: Damaged car door. 8:45 a.m. Aug. 12.

■ Farley Street, 5400 block: Stolen go-cart. 5:39 p.m. Aug. 17.

■ Knox Street, 4800 block: Stolen household items. 3:56 p.m. Aug. 14.

■ Merriam Drive, 5500 block: Stolen paint sprayer, spray tips and hose. 8:18 a.m. Aug. 18.

If you have information about a crime, call your police department or the TIPS Hotline.

Shawnee, (913) 631-2155

Lenexa, (913) 477-7300

Merriam, (913) 677-3111

TIPS HOTLINE, (816) 474-TIPS or (816) 474-8477

Roads to police station set to be improved

By MIKE RICE

The Kansas City Star

Construction is underway on the Shoal Creek Patrol Division and training academy at Shoal Creek Parkway and Pleasant Valley Road, but the roads leading to it are hardly state-of-the-art.

They are narrow, hilly, winding and filled with dangerous blind spots.

To help fix that problem, the Kansas City Council recently approved a financing plan that will divert $4.7 million from the Shoal Creek Tax Increment Financing District to rebuild a section of Pleasant Valley Road and extend the Northland’s boulevard system to that area.

The existing stretch of Shoal Creek Parkway between Interstate 435 and Pleasant Valley Road will be widened into a four-lane boulevard, realigned and renamed Searcy Creek Parkway.

And a roundabout will connect the new Searcy Creek Parkway with Shoal Creek Parkway, which will be widened between the roundabout and I-435.

The section of Pleasant Valley Road to be improved will intersect with the new Searcy Creek Parkway. And it will serve as an entrance into the police station.

“You can’t have a state-of-the-art facility like this on a country road,” said Councilwoman Deb Hermann, who co-sponsored the financing plan resolution.

The other sponsor, Bill Skaggs, who represents the 1st District with Hermann, agreed. “The roads around there are a mess,” he said.

Under the financing plan, tax revenues from the Shoal Creek Tax Increment Financing District will pay for the road improvements. That district includes many of the businesses along Missouri 152 between Flintlock Road and Interstate 35.

With the council’s Aug. 4 approval of the plan, city leaders are hoping that the road construction will coincide with the building construction.

“It’s important that these improvements get done while the police station and academy are being built and not 10 years later,” Hermann said.

Maj. Jan Zimmerman, Shoal Creek division commander for the Kansas City Police Department, said the new roads around the new station and academy were needed, not only for the police officers and other employees who will be working out of the facilities, but also for citizens.

“These roads are dangerous,” she said. “They need to be improved to handle the increase in traffic.”

The patrol division and training academy will cover more than 120,000 square feet. Construction on those buildings is expected to take from one year to 18 months.

The patrol division and training academy are a $35.5 million investment, made possible by Kansas City voters’ approval in April 2002 of a quarter-cent sales tax for public safety building improvements.

Besides providing easier access for patrol cars, the new roads will be a key component of the Northland’s boulevard system, city leaders said.

They plan to link a future stretch of Maplewoods Parkway with the roundabout at the new Searcy Creek Parkway and rebuilt Shoal Creek Parkway.

Plans call for Maplewoods Parkway to stretch between Missouri 1 and I-435. Sections of that parkway already have been built between Missouri 1 and North Agnes Avenue and Missouri 152 and Northeast 96th Street.

The new Searcy Creek Parkway would be the first addition of that roadway since a one-mile stretch opened in 1975 between Missouri 210 and Parvin Road. At that time, it was Kansas City’s first boulevard north of the Missouri River.

The two stretches of Searcy Creek Parkway will not be connected. But if the Northland boulevard plan is carried out entirely, the two roads would be connected by a link that would run through Claycomo, Pleasant Valley Park and the mostly residential area west of Worlds of Fun.

Hermann added that the city has paid for a design by TranSystems Corp. of the proposed boulevard system around the new police facility. The Parks and Recreation Department plans to carry it out.

“We now have (the Northland boulevard plan) around here tied down,” said Dennis McMan, a landscape architect for the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department. “We know how much right-of-way we need and where the boulevards will go.”

Lee's Summit police seek clues in theft

Lee’s Summit police are asking for help in finding a stolen utility trailer and commercial mower, together valued at $9,500.

The department is investigating the theft which occurred Sunday between 10 a.m. and noon from a residential driveway in the 200 block of Southeast Claremont

Missing is a 5-by-10-foot black utility trailer with Missouri license XJX-906 valued at $1,500. Loaded on the trailer and also taken was a yellow Hustler Sumper Mini Z-52 lawnmower valued at $8,000.

A witness said a suspect was driving a white and primer-gray full-size Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The rear window of the cab was broken and covered with Plexiglas.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lee’s Summit Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (816) 969-7370. Anonymous information also may be given at (816) 969-7431.
—Russ Pulley/The Star

Police report - Shawnee Mission

By SHERRI ARMEL and TRUDY THOMAS

The Kansas City Star

These are the most recent police reports of personal and property crimes and injury traffic accidents in your area, listed by city and ZIP code. Times and dates indicate when officers took the report, not when the incident occurred.

OVERLAND PARK

66202

Neighborhoods west of Nall Avenue and south of 47th Street and County Line Road, including the Cunningham Highlands, Goodman Heights and Santa Fe Trail Lands subdivisions.

■ Floyd Street, 6600 block: Property damage. 9:20 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ Lowell Street, 5700 block: Theft. 11:34 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Marty Lane, 6100 block: Property damage. 9:58 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Shawnee Mission Parkway, 7800 block: Theft. 11:40 a.m. Aug. 22.

66204

Neighborhoods near Lamar Avenue and south of 67th Street, including such areas as the Southmoor, Milburn Fields and Milburn West subdivisions.

■ Southbound Interstate 35 and West 75th Street: Theft. 5:22 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 72nd Street and Metcalf Avenue: Injury wreck. 7:17 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ West 75th Street, 9400 block: DUI arrest. 3:57 a.m. Aug. 16.

■ West 75th Street, 9400 block: Theft. 6:24 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ West 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue: Alleged possession of marijuana. 11:10 a.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 79th Street and Grant Street: Theft. 2:09 p.m. Aug. 23.

■ Dearborn Street, 7200 block: Property damage. 4 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Eby Street, 7800 block: Theft. 12:36 p.m. Aug. 23.

■ Frontage Road, 7700 block: Theft. 4:57 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ Frontage Road, 7700 block: Theft. 10:13 p.m. Aug. 23.

■ Grant Street, 7900 block: Stolen 2004 Dodge Stratus. 11:44 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Kessler Street, 7800 block: Theft. 9:42 a.m. Aug. 22.

■ Metcalf Avenue, 7400 block: Property damage. 9:36 a.m. July 22.

■ Santa Fe Drive, 9100 block: Theft. 4:37 a.m. Aug. 19.

66206

Neighborhoods west of State Line Road and north of 107th Street, including such areas as the Indian Acres, Ranch View and 98th Place subdivisions.

■ No incidents were reported.

66207

Neighborhoods west of Mission Road and south of 83rd Street, including such areas as the Nall Hills, Empire Estates and Bel-Air Heights subdivisions.

■ West 95th Street, 5600 block: Theft. 2:54 p.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 107th Street and Nall Avenue: Property damage. 3:40 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Dearborn Street, 9100 block: Theft. 3:53 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Nall Avenue, 10100 block: Robbery. 10:34 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ Somerset Drive, 9400 block: Property damage. 12:17 p.m. Aug. 22.

66212

Neighborhoods west of Lamar Avenue and south of 83rd Street, including such areas as the Cherokee Hills, Sylvan Grove and Pinehurst Estates subdivisions.

■ Eastbound Interstate 435 and Southbound U.S. 69: DUI arrest. 12:24 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ Westbound Interstate 435 and Antioch Road: Injury wreck. 12:33 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ West 85th Street, 9700 block: Property damage. 11:12 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ West 87th Street and Santa Fe Lane: Injury wreck. 4:40 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ West 90th Terrace, 9300 block: Property damage. 2:51 p.m. Aug. 22.

■ West 91st Street, 6800 block: Theft. 10:51 a.m. Aug. 21.

■ West 91st Street, 6800 block: Theft. 10:40 a.m. Aug. 23.

■ West 93rd Terrace, 8800 block: Alleged possession of marijuana. 9:01 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 95th Street, 6300 block: Injury wreck. 4:17 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ West 95th Street, 7400 block: Theft. 9:22 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 95th Street, 8700 block: Theft. 11:20 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 96th Street, 9700 block: Theft. 1:56 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 102nd Place, 8800 block: Rape. 1:52 a.m. Aug. 18.

■ Antioch Road, 8300 block: Theft. 3:25 p.m. Aug. 23.

■ England Street, 8400 block: Property damage. 11:50 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ Farley Street, 8500 block: Property damage. 10:53 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ Foster Street, 9900 block: Property damage. 2:05 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Grant Street, 8800 block: Property damage. Noon. Aug. 23.

■ Kessler Street, 10200 block: Theft. 8:15 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ Kessler Street, 10200 block: Theft. 1:26 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Lamar Avenue, 9300 block: Property damage. 1:17 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Mastin Street, 10000 block: Theft. 2:55 p.m. Aug. 21.

■ Mastin Street, 10400 block: Property damage. 3:30 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ Metcalf Avenue, 8700 block: Theft. 8:50 a.m. Aug. 22.

■ Perry Drive, 9900 block: Theft. 1:52 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ Santa Fe Drive, 8800 block: Alleged possession of marijuana. 12:24 p.m. Aug. 18.

66214

Neighborhoods west of Switzer Road and south of 75th Street, including such areas as the Oak Park and Oak Park Manor subdivisions, Oak Park Mall and the Congleton Industrial Park.

■ West 95th Street, 11300 block: Theft. 5:01 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ West 95th Street, 11400 block: Theft. 1:06 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ West 95th Street, 11400 block: DUI arrest. 10:05 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 95th Street, 11800 block: Theft. 9:53 p.m. Aug. 20.

■ West 98th Street, 10700 block: Theft. 4:11 p.m. Aug. 15.

■ Goddard Street, 10300 block: Property damage. 2:22 a.m. Aug. 23.

66215

Neighborhoods south of 103rd Street and west of Quivira Road, including Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

■ Quivira Road, 10600 block: Theft. 8 a.m. Aug. 22.

66203

■ Mackey Street, 5000 block: Property damage. 12:06 p.m. Aug. 23.

FAIRWAY

66205

Neighborhoods west of State Line Road and south of 47th Street and County Line.

■ No incidents were reported.

MERRIAM

66202

Neighborhoods west of Nall Avenue and north of 67th Street.

■ West 63rd Street, 8600 block: Battery. Aug. 17.

■ West 63rd Street, 8800 block: Gas drive-off. 7 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 63rd Street, 8800 block: Gas drive-off. 7 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 63rd Street, 8800 block: Gas drive-off. 7 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 63rd Street, 8800 block: Gas drive-off. 7 a.m. Aug. 17.

■ West 63rd Street, 8800 block: Gas drive-off. 8:30 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ West 63rd Street, 9000 block: Hit and run wreck. Aug. 17.

■ Antioch Road, 5800 block: Road rage. Aug. 17.

■ Frontage Road, 6400 block: Lewd and lascivious behavior. Aug. 20.

66204

Neighborhoods west of Lamar Avenue and north of 83rd Street.

■ West 74th Street, 9100 block: Battery. Aug. 16.

MISSION

66202

Neighborhoods west of Nall Avenue and south of 47th Street and County Line.

■ West 51st Street, 6100 block: Aggravated domestic battery. 5:45 a.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 57th Street, 6000 block: Stolen drill with case, hand grinder, drill bits and blade in an auto burglary. 4:10 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ West 62nd Terrace and Lamar Avenue: DUI arrest. 3:20 a.m. Aug. 18.

■ Broadmoor Street, 5700 block: Stolen 1994 Honda Accord and cell phone. 4:34 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ Broadmoor Street, 5800 block: Aggravated robbery. 10:50 p.m. Aug. 18.

■ Johnson Drive, 6800 block: Stolen Kansas registration sticker. 11:30 a.m. Aug. 15.

■ Johnson Drive, 6800 block: Stolen CD player in an auto burglary; damaged driver’s-side window and door frame. 5:38 p.m. Aug. 16.

■ Maple Street, 5900 block: Domestic battery. 5:15 p.m. Aug. 15.

■ Martway Street, 6600 block: Forgery. 12:19 p.m. Aug. 19.

■Outlook Street, 5900 block: Stolen wooden pallets. 8:13 a.m. Aug. 15.

66205

Neighborhoods east of Nall Avenue, north of 63rd Street and south of Johnson Drive.

■ No incidents were reported.

PRAIRIE VILLAGE MISSION HILLS

66206

Neighborhoods west of State Line Road and south of 83rd Street.

■ Somerset Drive, 2600 block: Domestic disturbance. 10:06 p.m. Aug. 23.

66207

Neighborhoods west of Mission Road and south of 83rd Street.

■ West 89th Street and Mission Road: Injury wreck. 10:59 p.m. Aug. 20.

66208

Neighborhoods west of State Line Road and generally south of 63rd Street and Mission Drive.

■ West 67th Street and Nall Avenue: DUI arrest. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 75th Street and Mission Road: DUI arrest. 1:23 a.m. Aug. 19.

■ West 78th Terrace, 6000 block: Damaged 1999 Chevrolet 1500 pickup. 11:31 a.m. Aug. 20.

■ West 79th Street, 4200 block: Stolen Kansas license plate. 10:33 a.m. Aug. 22.

■ Booth Drive, 7500 block: Theft of $1,200. 3:53 p.m. Aug. 19.

■ State Line Road, 7700 block: Gas drive-off. 5:25 p.m. Aug. 22.

■ State Line Road, 7700 block: Gas drive-off. 9:23 a.m. Aug. 23.

ROELAND PARK

66205

Neighborhoods and businesses west of State Line Road and south of 47th Street and County Line.

■ Briar Street, 5000 block: Stolen garden hose. Aug. 16.

■ Cedar Street, 5100 block: Stolen cell phone, speakers and amplifier in an auto burglary. Aug. 17.

■ Falmouth Road, 4700 block: Domestic disturbance; damaged cell phone and glass pane. Aug. 15.

■ Roe Boulevard, 4800 block: Stolen license plate expiration sticker. Aug. 16.

■ Roe Boulevard, 5100 block: Stolen medicine. Aug. 14.

■ Roe Boulevard, 5100 block: Stolen shoes. Aug. 16.

■ Roe Boulevard, 5100 block: Stolen cell phone. Aug. 17.

WESTWOOD, WESTWOOD HILLS, MISSION WOODS

66205

■ No incidents were reported.

If you have information about a crime, call your local police department or the TIPS Hotline.

Overland Park, (913) 895-6000

Fairway, (913) 262-2364

Merriam, (913) 677-3111

Mission, (913) 722-0697

Prairie Village, (913) 642-6868

Roeland Park, (913) 677-3363

Westwood, (913) 362-3737

TIPS Hotline, (816) 474-TIPS or (816) 474-8477

Gun fired in robbery; no injuries reported

By LINDA MAN

The Kansas City Star

A robber fired a gun and held up a south Kansas City convenience store Sunday. No injuries were reported.

Police said the robbery was reported at 10:30 p.m. at Star Mart, 380 W. 103rd St. The clerk told police that a man walked in, demanded money, became frustrated and shot into the ceiling.

The clerk handed over some cash and the robber fled.

To reach Linda Man, call (816) 234-7809 or e-mail lman@kcstar.com.

Kansas City homicide count

Northeast Missouri police chief suing stun-gun maker for injuries

PHOENIX (AP) — Police officers in Missouri and four other states have filed lawsuits against Arizona-based Taser International Inc., claiming they were seriously injured after being shocked with the electronic stun gun during training classes.
Pete Herring, police chief of the northeast Missouri town of Hallsville, is among those suing. He claims he suffered heart damage and two strokes when he volunteered to be shocked while hooked up to a cardiac monitor as a way to demonstrate the safety of Taser to his officers in April 2004.
Herring also claims “painful, permanent and progressive” hearing and vision loss and neurological damage in addition to the strokes and cardiac damage.
All of the lawsuits have been filed in the past several weeks. The others are on behalf of four officers from Florida, Kansas, New Mexico and Ohio who claim they were injured in training classes between August 2003 and October 2004.
They say that Taser instructors did not reveal any medical information suggesting that the guns could cause injuries and they claim the company has ignored important research suggesting the guns could be extremely dangerous, if not fatal.
The complaints each allege that Taser was aware of injuries to other officers but did nothing to warn police departments, “knowing full well that such a reported serious injury would have devastating ramifications on its safety claims and, most importantly, its most-effective sales tool, the law enforcement training program.”
The officers claim they suffered “severe and permanent” injuries including multiple spinal fractures, burns, a shoulder dislocation and soft-tissue injuries.
The suits challenge Taser’s principal safety claim and accuse the company of misleading law enforcement about the extent of potential injuries. They also accuse company officials of concealing reports of injuries to at least a dozen other law enforcement officers.
Taser, based in Scottsdale, has marketed the weapons to 7,000 law enforcement agencies and promoted the gun’s safety.
The devices temporarily paralyze people with a 50,000-volt jolt delivered by two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing.
The American Civil Liberties Union reports more than 130 deaths in the United States related to Tasers, while Amnesty International reports more than 120 deaths in the U.S. and Canada — both figures since June 2001.
Taser International has consistently denied that its products are to blame in the deaths, arguing that none have been directly linked to Tasers.
The company also contends Tasers have saved thousands of lives — suspects who might otherwise have been fatally shot by police.
In a recent statement, Taser vice president Steve Tuttle said the company planned to “aggressively fight” all of the lawsuits.
———
Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com

What slows teen drivers down?

Having passengers can be a peril, study indicates

By ELY PORTILLO

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON — A teenage boy driving with another teenage boy is more likely to speed and tailgate than when he drives alone, a federal study released Friday says.

But put a teenage girl in the car, and he’ll slow down.

The fix isn’t so simple for teenage girl drivers, however. Girls drive faster whether the passenger is a guy or a girl than they do when they drive solo, the study found.

The research, by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, found that a quarter of teens with male passengers drove at least 15 mph over the test’s 40 mph speed limit. Just 10 percent of teens drove that fast when they were alone.

Teen males with teen male passengers were also more likely to tailgate, leaving an average of about one car length less room in front of them at 40 mph than when they drove alone.

The study involved 471 teenage drivers on public roads.

The perils of teen passengers don’t surprise Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, an insurer-funded research group that seeks to reduce accident rates.

“When you have a teen passenger in the vehicle with a teen driver, the risk of a crash is twice as high,” Rader said. “If you have two or more teen passengers in a vehicle, the risk can be five times as high.”

The study found that when male teens drove dangerously, 22 percent had male passengers and only 6 percent had female passengers.

All but 17 states restrict the number and/or ages of passengers that new drivers can carry.

Missouri and Kansas are among the states that don’t restrict passengers for new drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says.

Wichita boy accidentally hanged

A 5-year-old boy died after he accidentally hanged himself while swinging from some ropes dangling from the rafters of his family’s carport, police said.
The boy, who had been alone for only a few minutes, apparently fell off a stepping stool about 5 p.m. and became tangled in the rope, police said.

Probationer sentenced in Kansas

An Emporia man who has been on probation most of his adult life was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison

Gail Leon Bennett Jr., 32, was sentenced in three Lyon County cases: a probation violation, a drug charge and a forgery from 2004 involving 63-year-old Mary Louise Clark, who was found murdered in her home last year. A jury found him not guilty in her death but guilty of forgery.

Fatal crash in Buchanan County

One man died and four persons were injured when a tractor-trailer crashed into a line of vehicles entering a construction zone Friday night on Interstate 29 four miles north of Faucett, Mo.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, a 2003 Mack tractor pulling an empty box trailer was southbound on I-29 when it rammed three cars and a pickup that had slowed for congestion caused by the road construction.

The tractor, driven by Michael W. Burnett, 43, of Kansas City, failed to slow down, the crash report said.

The 10:44 p.m. crash killed Donald E. Smith, 54, of Hiawatha, Kan., who was riding in a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville driven by his wife, Lela, 51.

She was taken to a St. Joseph hospital with moderate injuries.

The crash also injured Brandon K. Johnson, 21, of Greenfield, Mo., who was driving a 1995 Toyota Corolla; Tyler D. Hardy, 25, of Platte City, who was driving a 2000 Honda Civic; and Bryce J. Good, 26, of Platte City, who was a passenger in Hardy’s car.

A 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup received minor damage in the crash, and the driver, Brian S. Vance, 36, of Kearney, was not injured.

The trucker was not injured.

The accident created a four-hour backup on I-29. Several agencies responded to the crash, including the Highway Patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Drug Strike Task Force and Missouri Department of Transportation.

Authorities said the crash remained under investigation.

Independence woman dies at lake

An Independence woman died Friday night while visiting the Lake of the Ozarks, the Missouri Water Patrol reported.

Helen Warr, 63, was sitting at a table on the dock near Johnson Hollow Cove about 9:30 p.m. She went to retrieve something from a boat. After she was gone 15 minutes, her friends started looking for her. A water patrol officer found her body floating in the water, near where she was last spotted, about 10:30 p.m.

The cause of death wasn’t immediately known.

Overland Park DUI checkpoint nets 19 arrests

Law enforcement conducted a DUI checkpoint late Friday and early Saturday in Overland Park, arresting 10 persons for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The checkpoint ran from 10:45 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday at 6801 W. 75th St. Overland Park police said 439 vehicles entered the checkpoint, and 49 persons were tested for suspicion of DUI.

Besides the DUI arrests, police made two arrests for open alcohol containers, three for drugs and three for outstanding warrants, and arrested one minor for possession of alcohol.

Man found dead in KCK apartment

Homicide detectives were investigating the death of a man whose body was found Saturday afternoon in the 500 block of Barnett Avenue.

Officers went to the apartment about 2:45 p.m. to check on the man’s welfare. When they went inside, they found the man’s body.

The victim has not been identified.

It is not clear how the man died, but police are treating his death as a homicide.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department at (913) 596-3000 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (816-474-8477).

Man shot to death in his home

A 35-year-old man was fatally shot in his home about 4:15 p.m. Saturday on Elmwood Avenue near 10th Street, police said.

The man, whose name was not immediately available, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The victim had been having arguments with a man he knew, and that person came into the house and shot him, a police captain said. Other persons were home when the attack occurred, the captain said.

No one was in custody Saturday afternoon, but police knew whom they were looking for, the captain said.

The suspect’s name and description were not released.

Vermont death sentence challenged

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Attorneys for the man sentenced to die in Vermont’s first capital punishment trial in almost 50 years are asking a judge to overturn his death sentence.

Donald Fell’s attorneys argue that prosecutors behaved improperly in the trial.

Confrontation probe promised

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has called for calm and promised an investigation into a confrontation between a Nation of Islam minister and police at a vigil for a shooting victim.

Supporters of Tony Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s western regional director, said Friday that Muhammad was beaten by officers at the vigil Thursday night. They called for tougher scrutiny of the department, which has repeatedly faced allegations of excessive force. Police said that Muhammad was “very belligerent and uncooperative” when officers asked that two vehicles be moved, and that two of his bodyguards also got involved.

Snooping software creator, buyers charged

SAN DIEGO — The creator and several buyers of a computer program designed to allow lovers to snoop on their sweethearts’ online activities have been charged with violating federal computer privacy laws.

Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara, 25, was indicted Friday on 35 counts of manufacturing, sending and advertising a surreptitious interception device and unauthorized access to protected computers.

The Loverspy program, disguised as an electronic greeting card showing images of puppies and flowers, was sent as an e-mail. When it was executed, it would record victims’ e-mail messages and the Web sites they visited, prosecutors said. The information would be transmitted to computers operated by Perez-Melara and relayed to customers, authorities said.

“It was marketed as a way to catch a cheating lover,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Dembin.

Four persons who bought the program, sold online for $89, were indicted on two counts each of illegal computer hacking. Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Authorities said that others were charged in Missouri, Texas, Hawaii and North Carolina. As many as 1,000 copies of Loverspy may have been sold worldwide, Dembin said.

Perez-Melara could face up to 175 years in prison if convicted.
— The Associated Press

Unsolved murders get further scrutiny

Sex offender may have killed others

Note from the Associated Press about this article and accompanying photograph of Joseph Edward duncan III:
This undated photo released, July 2, 2005, by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department shows Joseph Edward Duncan III, of Fargo, N.D. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are examining unsolved child slayings for a connection to Duncan, who is charged with binding and killing three people in their Coeur d'Alene-area home in a scheme authorities say was intended to abduct two children for sex. One unsolved slaying, Anthony Martinez, 10, who was forced into a white car in Beaumont, Calif., in April 1997 as his friends watched. Sixteen days later, the boy's nude, bound body was found about 70 miles to the east. The Martinez slaying remained unsolved until Duncan's recent arrest when California investigators found that a partial fingerprint on the duct tape used to bind the boy belonged to Duncan.

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS

The Associated Press

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — As if the twisted saga of Joseph Edward Duncan III were not horrific enough, there is a growing fear he may have additional young victims in multiple states.

Police around the country are taking a closer look at unsolved killings for a possible connection to Duncan, a registered sex offender who is accused of killing three persons in their Coeur d’Alene area home in order to abduct two children for sex.

Duncan, 42, was arrested early July 2 at a restaurant after a waitress found him with Shasta Groene, 8. Remains of Shasta’s brother, Dylan, 9, were found in a Montana forest two days later.

Authorities have confirmed they are looking at Duncan as a potential suspect in four additional deaths, and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Detective Brad Maskell said that numerous other law enforcement agencies have made inquiries.

Duncan was 16 in 1980 when he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a 14-year-old boy at gunpoint. He spent all but eight of the subsequent 25 years in prison.

After his arrest last month, Duncan talked about three children who were killed while he was paroled between 1994 and 1997 and living in Seattle.

Note from the Associated Press:
This undated photo provided by the family shows Anthony Martinez, of Beaumont, Calif. Joseph Edward Duncan III, 42, is linked by a single fingerprint to the scene of the killing of Martinez, Sheriff Bob Doyle told a press conference, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005, in Riverside, 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are examining unsolved child slayings, for a connection to Duncan, who is charged with binding and killing three people in their Coeur d'Alene-area home in a scheme authorities say was intended to abduct two children for sex.

One, Anthony Martinez, 10, was forced into a car in the Southern California town of Beaumont in April 1997 as his friends watched. Sixteen days later, a forest ranger found the boy’s nude, bound body.

A few days before Anthony’s disappearance, Duncan tested positive for marijuana — a parole violation — stole his girlfriend’s car and disappeared, reportedly to Southern California. Investigators have taken a renewed look at the case, and they say his partial fingerprint has been found on duct tape used to bind the boy.

Also this month, police in Oak Harbor, Wash., said they were investigating the possibility that Duncan is linked to the death of Deborah Palmer, 7, who disappeared March 27, 1997, while walking to school. Her body was found four days later — the same day Duncan stole his girlfriend’s car.

Duncan has also discussed the earlier killings of two half sisters in the Seattle area, although authorities there said he did not confess and they have found no physical evidence linking Duncan to the deaths.

Duncan was arrested Aug. 27, 1997, at the home of his half sister in Kansas City on the parole violation. He was released from prison again in 2000 and enrolled to study computing in Fargo, N.D.

Registered as a sex offender there, Duncan indicated in his Web log that he chafed under the scrutiny of law enforcement officers. He traveled widely, visiting friends and relatives as far away as Florida and taking trips throughout the Midwest.

In July 2004, Duncan was arrested for allegedly molesting a 6-year-old boy and attempting to molest another boy at a playground in Detroit Lakes, Minn. He jumped bail this April.

According to testimony from Shasta Groene, Duncan told her he spotted her and her brother playing outside their home in mid-May.

On May 15, he came for them, wearing night vision goggles and carrying a rifle as he entered the house, authorities say.

According to the charges against him, Duncan bound and then used a hammer to beat to death Brenda Groene; her 13-year-old son, Slade; and her boyfriend, Mark McKenzie.

It is The Associated Press’ policy not to identify alleged victims of sexual assault in most cases, but the search for Shasta and her brother was heavily publicized and their names are widely known.

Duncan is jailed without bail on three charges of first-degree murder.

Ex-Gladstone dispatcher files suit, says she was debilitated by electrical shock

By RICHARD ESPINOZA

The Kansas City Star

Darcy Lewitzke says Gladstone’s old public safety radio system often shocked dispatchers, but never as badly as on her last working day.

Lewitzke said she was knocked out and disabled by a shock from the dispatch system. She says she suffers memory problems, is especially sensitive to light and noise, and is unable to work.

Last month she filed lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court against the companies that installed the radio system and an anti-static carpet in Gladstone’s dispatch room, the companies that made the radio and her headset, and Kansas City Power & Light Co. She is not suing the city of Gladstone, which is providing workers’ compensation payments.

The dispatch system was replaced several months after Lewitzke was shocked on March 8, 2002.

KCP&L spokesman Tom Robinson said Thursday that the company was investigating whether its equipment was involved in the jolt that knocked Lewitzke back against her chair. But he said the substation where Lewitzke’s lawsuit alleges the problem began didn’t supply power to the building where she was working.

He also said no other customers who shared the Public Safety Department’s circuit complained about an electrical surge at the time Lewitzke was hurt.

Kansas City lawyer Don Bollard, who represents headset manufacturer Plantronics, said the headset doesn’t produce electricity and shouldn’t be expected to protect against an electrical jolt coming from a radio it was connected to.

Attorneys for the other defendants — Commenco, Motorola and The Carpet Corner — declined to discuss the case. Lewitzke said in an interview that the dispatch console she used at Gladstone was notorious for shocking dispatchers.

Lewitzke and two other employees in the dispatch room filed reports of being shocked a total of 19 times between April 2000 and Lewitzke’s last injury.

Lewitzke said three neurologists examined her and gave her no hope of recovery. Her head constantly hurts, she said, and light and noise bother her so much that she can’t drive or even shop on her own. Memory problems make day-to-day tasks, such as preparing a meal without burning food, difficult, she said. “I used to be able to get all the stuff done at the same time,” she said. “I can’t do that anymore. It’s very overwhelming to be able to get the whole meal done at once.”Lewitzke, 44, is not asking for a specific amount of money. But she once earned about $39,000 a year between her dispatching job and another as a dishwasher at her daughter’s school.

Eminem, bus company face crash lawsuit

By JIM SALTER

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — A lawsuit against rapper Eminem, his tour bus company and the bus driver seeks unspecified damages for a July accident involving seven vehicles in western Missouri.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in St. Louis by Michigan truck driver Breck Wyngarden and his wife, Ascension “Tina” Wyngarden. In addition to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, the suit names bus driver Charlie Dilligard and the tour bus company, Entertainment Coaches of America.

The accident happened July 13 on Interstate 70 near Odessa, about 25 miles east of Kansas City. Eminem, who was born in St. Joseph, was not on the bus, but seven persons on the Anger Management Tour were among 11 sent to the hospital. Also hospitalized were Tina Wyngarden, two motorcycle drivers and a motorcycle passenger.

Among those injured from the tour bus were the driver; Eminem’s disc jockey, Alan Maman, also known as Alchemist; and Stanley Benton, 26, a rapper who goes by the name Stat Quo and is considered one of Eminem’s proteges.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said the bus was westbound about 6 p.m. on its way to a tour stop in Denver after a stop in Chicago.

The lawsuit states that Breck Wyngarden suffered rib injuries and that his wife, who was moving from the tractor-trailer’s bunk to the front seat, suffered head, neck and back injuries when she was thrown forward by the crash. She is recovering from an operation for a herniated disc, said Jeff Lowe, attorney for the Wyngardens.

Set-up man’s 20-year sentence closes book on deadly drug feud

By JOE LAMBE

The Kansas City Star

On August 24, 2001, police found Max Ruiz shot dead in the parking lot of a Kansas City apartment complex.

He was 18 and about to start college. He also sold drugs.

The murder case ended Friday when a Jackson County judge sentenced the last of four men involved in a killing with layers of double cross and deceit.

Who deserved the most blame — the man who pulled the trigger? The man who sent him? The man who set up what he said was to be a legitimate deal between two of his close drug-dealer friends?

The last defendant, Andre Sanders, 25, pleaded guilty to felony second-degree murder and armed criminal action and faced 10 years to life in prison.

At sentencing Friday, Sanders, of Kansas City, said he never meant for Ruiz to be robbed or killed when he set up a deal for Ruiz to sell about 20 pounds of marijuana to another friend, Rodney Mitchell.

It was to happen at an apartment complex in the 5400 block of East 84th Terrace. Sanders used his cell phone to direct Ruiz and Mitchell to meet there. Sanders watched from a distance.

Instead of Mitchell, two other men arrived to meet Ruiz. One walked with Ruiz to the trunk of the victim’s car. Ruiz opened it. The man shot him in the chest.

In his last act, Ruiz either shut the trunk or fell on it, locking the marijuana inside. The shooter and his driver sped away with nothing. Sanders waited there for police.

Sanders lied to police that day and implicated one of his relatives as the killer.

“I was scared” Sanders said Friday. “They just killed one man.”

Police later interrogated Sanders’ innocent relative, then questioned Sanders again. He told them of Mitchell and the others.

Sanders asked the judge Friday for the 10-year minimum sentence.

“I just got caught up in the middle of someone else’s ignorance,” he said, adding that Mitchell double-crossed him and Ruiz.

Assistant Prosecutor Teresa Moore questioned that on cross-examination.

Sanders admitted that Mitchell had asked whether he could send someone to rob Ruiz, but Sanders said he told Mitchell “no” and thought no more about it.

Sanders said he talked to Mitchell by phone just before the shooting and warned him that Ruiz had a gun. Sanders said he told Mitchell not to do anything foolish.

Moore then read what Sanders told police was Mitchell’s reply: “As long as my boys got the ups, everything is cool.”

Sanders said that he did not know what that meant and that he did not warn Ruiz.

“You could have done something to prevent all this,” Moore replied.

“Yes, I could,” Sanders said of the warning he never gave.

Moore asked for a life sentence for Sanders, whose relatives had testified that he was a gentle man who fell in with the wrong crowd.

Judge Edith Messina told Sanders before sentencing, “You didn’t just fall in with the wrong crowd, you were the wrong crowd.” She sentenced him to 20 years.

As for the others, Mitchell pleaded guilty and got 20 years. The shooter, James Falkner, pleaded guilty and got 22 years. The driver of the killer’s car, Anthony Gardenhire, cooperated with prosecutors and got probation.
To reach Joe Lambe, Jackson County courts reporter, call (816) 234-4314 or send e-mail to jlambe@kcstar.com .

List of defendants in crash lawsuits grows

By MIKE SHERRY

The Kansas City Star

A Clay County circuit judge ruled Friday that more companies could be named as defendants in three lawsuits stemming from a fatal school bus crash in Liberty.

Judge Larry Harman’s decision to allow the addition of six businesses came in response to filings by lawyers Gary C. Robb and Anita Porte Robb. The Robbs represent two students critically injured in the wreck and the family of one of two motorists who died as a result of the May 9 crash at Missouri 291 and Missouri 152.

The new companies named were allegedly involved with the design and manufacture of parts said to be on the school bus, such as the electronic throttle control and components of the air-brake system, according to Gary Robb.

The additional defendants are General Motors Corp.’s Allison Transmission Division; Dana Corp.; Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems; American Standard Co. Inc.; Williams Controls Inc.; and Parker-Hannifin Corp.

Representatives of Dana Corp., Allison Transmission and Parker-Hannifin Corp. could not be reached for comment; spokesmen for Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems and American Standard Co. Inc. said they had no comment because they had not been served with the lawsuit.

While Williams Controls also had not been served with a lawsuit, legal counsel Jim Waggoner said the company manufactured the gas pedal on the Liberty school bus. “Their (Williams Controls) pedal was on the bus, but it was tested and was found not defective,” Waggoner said.

Harman’s decision means 14 defendants are now named in each of the three lawsuits, including the Liberty School District and the individual bus driver.

As of Friday afternoon, more than a dozen cases related to the bus crash were pending in Clay County Circuit Court.

The wreck, which remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, occurred as the out-of-control bus hurtled through the busy intersection.

The driver has indicated through one of her attorneys that she thinks the brakes failed.
The Star’s Lindsay Hanson, P. Kim Bui and Tanya Fogg Young contributed to this report. To reach Mike Sherry, call (816) 234-5907 or send e-mail to msherry@kcstar.com.

Police renew efforts to solve 2003 murder

By CHRISTINE VENDEL

The Kansas City Star

Two years ago today, someone shot and killed Robert R. Hack for his wallet as he delivered newspapers for The Kansas City Star.

“The person who did this is still out there,” said Hack’s older sister, Katherine Hack. “That’s hard to accept. We just wish someone would come forward.”

In light of the anniversary, police and Hack’s relatives are asking anyone with information about the unsolved case to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477). Callers are eligible for a reward of up to $11,000.

Robert Hack, 32, left behind a daughter who is now 10 years old.

Police found him slumped in the front seat of his delivery van about 4:15 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2003, at 67th Street and Woodland Avenue. He was pronounced dead later.

Police said Hack had been shot at least once by someone either inside the van or standing near it. Hack’s van had crashed into a light pole, and his wallet was missing.

Police think that as the killer walked away, he rifled through Hack’s wallet and tossed aside unwanted items, which neighbors later found in their front yards.

Platte County enticement arrest

A Lenexa man has been accused of trying to seduce a 14-year-old girl over the Internet, the Sheriff’s Department reported.

Darrin R. Stephenson, 28, has been charged in Platte County Circuit Court with one count of enticement of a child.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, Stephenson went to an undisclosed location on Thursday afternoon, thinking he was going to have sex with the teenage girl.

When undercover detectives met him there, he fled and jumped off a balcony 20 feet from the ground, injuring his face and breaking his left wrist. He was tackled by police and arrested.

The case was investigated by the department’s cyber crimes unit.