A convicted rapist was sentenced to not less than 10 years behind bars Thursday for the 1980 homicide of his neighbor — closing the ebook on Kansas’ oldest chilly case.
Steven L. Hanks, 70, was dropped at justice 44 years after gunning down Mary Robin Walter, 23, in her Nice Bend trailer house.
“It bothers me that lots of the individuals who have been so affected by this tragic crime have since handed away previous to bringing the suspect to justice,” Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir mentioned in an announcement Friday.
“I contemplate myself lucky that I had the sources and the diligent personnel to shut this case. The credit score for fixing this murder goes to the devoted officers that had the tenacity to carry it to a conviction.”
Walter was a spouse, mom and nursing faculty pupil when she was shot a number of occasions on Jan. 24, 1980. Police discovered a .22-caliber handgun on the scene and confirmed it was the homicide weapon.
Hanks, who was 25 on the time, was thought of a suspect, however the case went chilly simply two years into the investigation when detectives failed to search out something that tied him to the killing.
The case remained untouched till 2022 when a detective persuaded Bellendir to reopen it and use new know-how and methods that weren’t obtainable on the time.
Detectives re-interviewed Hanks, who by that point had spent a decade in jail for rape, battery, theft and housebreaking.
He admitted to killing Walter, however authorities didn’t reveal his motive.
He formally pleaded responsible in August as a part of a plea settlement that referred to as for a sentence of not lower than 5 years and less than 25 years.
The district court docket decide, nevertheless, raised the minimal to 10 years through the sentencing listening to Thursday.
The sheriff mentioned they imagine it’s the oldest chilly case in Kansas to be solved and end in a conviction.
“Robin’s killer was lastly dropped at justice due to their dedication and dedication to this chilly case,” Affiliate Deputy Legal professional Normal Jessica Domme mentioned within the assertion.
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