BonnerSprings.com

Thursday's sentencing hearing for Robert Haberlein, who was convicted last month of the October 2005 murder of Robin Bell, was continued to July 18. The court gave no reason.

On May 6 a jury found Haberlein, 20, Kansas City, Kan., guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

Haberlein's attorney, KiAnn McBratney, said outside the courtroom later that she was working toward getting a new trial for her client, but wouldn't elaborate on what grounds such a motion would be based.

One of the other two suspects, John Backus, 21, Bonner Springs, is scheduled for a pre-trial conference July 18. Backus' trial had been set to start May 5, but the duration of Haberlein's trial required setting the date back, and then Backus assigned a new attorney.

The third suspect, Amber Russell, 17, Lenexa, who was 15 at the time of the slaying, has a deal with the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office that she will be tried as a minor in exchange for her truthful testimony in the trials of Haberlein and Backus.

No trial date has been set for Russell.

In other local crime news, Douglas Nelson, 87, who was charged with mistreatment of a dependent adult in connection with the April 13, death of William Webb, 48, a fellow resident of Bonner Springs Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, is still at the state hospital in Larned.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney's office is awaiting a psychiatric evaluation of Nelson as well as an autopsy of Webb, which has not been completed.

Perry Parks, 61, Edwardsville, still awaits his first court appearance on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in connection with the May 8 shooting death of Everett Suits, 38, Kansas City, Kan., on the 3700 block of Booth in Kansas City, Kan. Parks is in the Wyandotte County jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.

Comments