Daily Archives: Jan. 21, 2009

Trial begins of man charged with raping blind, mentally disabled woman

Jan. 21, 20097:19 p.m.

Updated: A jury found Adkins guilty of rape late Friday afternoon after deliberating most of the day.

Ricardo Adkins, 28, picked up an 18-year-old woman at a bus stop near 21st and Woodlawn on April 24. The woman, who is mentally disabled and legally blind, said he raped her. Adkins said they had consensual sex.

Assistant Sedgwick County District Attorney Justin Edwards outlined the state’s case in his opening statements to the jury earlier today:

Public defender Jama Mitchell gave Adkins’ version:

The trial is expected to last the rest of the week before Judge David Kaufman.

By Ron Sylvester | | Comments Off | Share this post

Wichita school bus driver charged with fondling 6-year-old

Jan. 21, 20094:38 p.m.

A 73-year-old Wichita school bus driver has been charged with fondling a 6-year-old girl.

Billy J. Reynolds made his first appearance Tuesday morning to hear charges against him on four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Prosecutors say he engaged in lewd touching of the girl from October until his arrest Jan. 6.

Susan Arensman, spokeswoman for Wichita Public Schools, said the girl’s parent reported the acts to the principal at Emerson Open Magnet Elementary, who called the Wichita-Sedgwick County Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit. Arensman said Reynolds, employed privately by Durham School Services, was fired the day after the district received the complaint. He had driven a bus for 16 years.

Reynolds’ preliminary hearing is tentatively set for Feb. 3.

By Ron Sylvester | Tagged as , , \n | Comments Off | Share this post