Kansas
Convicted rapist sentenced 44 years after gunning down neighbor — closing Kansas’ oldest cold case
A convicted rapist was sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars Thursday for the 1980 murder of his neighbor — closing the book on Kansas’ oldest cold case.
Steven L. Hanks, 70, was brought to justice 44 years after gunning down Mary Robin Walter, 23, in her Great Bend trailer home.
“It bothers me that many of the people who were so affected by this tragic crime have since passed away prior to bringing the suspect to justice,” Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir said in a statement Friday.
“I consider myself fortunate that I had the resources and the diligent personnel to close this case. The credit for solving this homicide goes to the dedicated officers that had the tenacity to bring it to a conviction.”
Walter was a wife, mother and nursing school student when she was shot multiple times on Jan. 24, 1980. Police found a .22-caliber handgun at the scene and confirmed it was the murder weapon.
Hanks, who was 25 at the time, was considered a suspect, but the case went cold just two years into the investigation when detectives failed to find anything that tied him to the killing.
The case remained untouched until 2022 when a detective persuaded Bellendir to reopen it and use new technology and techniques that weren’t available at the time.
Detectives re-interviewed Hanks, who by that time had spent a decade in prison for rape, battery, robbery and burglary.
He admitted to killing Walter, but authorities did not reveal his motive.
He formally pleaded guilty in August as part of a plea agreement that called for a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 25 years.
The district court judge, however, raised the minimum to 10 years during the sentencing hearing Thursday.
The sheriff said they believe it is the oldest cold case in Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction.
“Robin’s killer was finally brought to justice because of their dedication and commitment to this cold case,” Associate Deputy Attorney General Jessica Domme said in the statement.
KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Elijah Ming’s son is only two — too young to hold many memories of his dad.
Kansas City, Kansas, baseball field renamed to honor fallen deputy Elijah Ming
But he will remember him. Elijah lives on in Deuce — the little one who also carries his father’s name.
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“He definitely carries a lot of traits that Elijah had,” said Elijah’s wife, Tiara Ming.
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One of those traits now stands tall on a KCK baseball field. On Thursday, fallen Wyandotte County Deputy Elijah Ming was honored once again as Heathwood Park was renamed Elijah Ming Memorial Field.
“It’ll be here for generations and decades to come,” said KCK Mayor Tyrone Garner.
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“That’s a sign to our young people in this community that these are the folks we should be looking up to,” said Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic.
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Family, friends, Wyandotte County deputies, and local officials attended the event.
Ming was shot and killed in July as he responded to help a woman who felt threatened while moving out of a home in Kansas City, Kansas.
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“He was the guy,” said America Patton, Elijah’s mentor. “He had the whole package.”
Elijah’s brothers say there’s no better place for the dedication — they have countless memories there.
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“To see bro’s name right here… it makes sense,” said Isaiah Ming. “It all started here.”
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“That was the best years of my life,” said Herman Ming.
But this year was a hard one.
They lost their mom to cancer and their brother to gun violence just days apart.
Moving on is not easy.
“That’s when my whole life changed,” said Isaiah. “Just trying to learn how to get through these rainy days.”
As they cope, they hold on to the dreams that are now becoming reality — even if not in the way they imagined.
“We really dreamed about us having something named after us. We never thought it’d come to this,” said Herman. “He’s definitely gonna live on.”
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They hope Elijah’s memory continues to guide future generations — especially his little man.
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“It’s a special moment for him because I don’t think he realizes how much weight his name is going to carry in the community,” Tiara said.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Today, the Kansas City Chiefs announced Jeff Shafer as their 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker – an annual recognition celebrating leaders who are driving significant, measurable change in their communities across the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative’s four pillars: education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.
Shafer is the executive director of City Year Kansas City and leads a dedicated team in providing public school students with the academic and social-emotional tools needed to thrive. Beginning in 2010, Shafer began his over-a-decade long work in giving back to local students as an AmeriCorps member in Chicago’s South Side. After five years with AmeriCorps, Shafer transitioned back to Kansas City to assist with the launch of City Year KC. Since 2015, Shafer and City Year KC have remained important pieces in revitalizing the Kansas City Public Schools district, most notably revitalizing accreditation in 2022. The Kansas City native routinely participates in service events throughout the year, including City Year KC’s Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service where he leads volunteers in beautifying public school spaces with murals and messages of hope.
In addition, Shafer has served on the boards of Brothers Liberating Our Communities, which is responsible for recruiting and retaining Black male educators, and Charlotte Street, a nonprofit providing resources to local artists and curators.
Shafer will be recognized at the Chiefs Inspire Change game during their Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers for his exceptional work in pursuit of education. He will also receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation, paid directly to a non-profit organization of his choice.
“We are incredibly proud to honor Jeff Shafer as the recipient of the club’s 2025 Changemaker Award,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “His commitment to providing necessary resources to our local public school system through City Year KC embodies what it means to be a pioneer for educational advancement. The Kansas City Chiefs are grateful for the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, which spotlights important endeavors in our local community, and we are grateful to have Jeff represent the Chiefs this season.”
“The Changemakers selected this year have demonstrated what’s possible when leaders commit to creating real change in their communities,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. “Their work is a powerful example for others and proof that sustained dedication can drive meaningful progress. The NFL family is proud to recognize their impact.” For more information, visit the link here.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new trial has been scheduled for a Kansas man convicted of killing his infant son.
Kaleb Hogan will be tried again in January on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.
Hogan was found guilty in 2023 of those same charges in the death of 3-month-old Malykai Hogan.
He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years. But he appealed.
Earlier this year, the Kansas Supreme Court overturned his conviction, saying the trial judge incorrectly admitted evidence of prior acts of alleged abuse.
The court ruled that the evidence did not fall within an exception allowing alleged prior acts to be admitted into evidence because the state couldn’t link the prior abuse to Hogan. In fact, prosecutors admitted during oral arguments at the high court that they did not charge Hogan with other counts of abuse because they couldn’t prove he was responsible for the child’s earlier injuries.
The court ruled that the state couldn’t prove that the error was harmless, so the case was returned to Butler County District Court for a new trial.
Court records show that a jury trial has been scheduled for Hogan on Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.
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