Category Archives: Chelsea Brooks' killing

A new face joins Wichita’s Parents of Murdered Children

Dec. 18, 20087:53 p.m.

I did a double take when I saw Andrea Brooks in the courtroom of a trial that didn’t involve her murdered sister, Chelsea.

Now Andrea, 20, is volunteering with Wichita’s chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. Andrea and her family said Parents of Murdered Children helped them through their difficulty navigating the court system as they waited more than two years and watched three defendants in the case of Chelsea’s killing at age 14. It ended just two weeks ago with the sentencing of Elgin Robinson.

This week, Andrea was in court with another family enduring a tragic loss: that of Kailee Hundley, the 13-month-old girl who died accidentally at day care. Jessica Cummings, the day care provider, was convicted Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter, as Andrea helped console Kailee’s family.

“I decided I wanted to give something back,” Andrea said. “Because Corinne helped me so much.”

There’s rarely a murder trial in Wichita where you won’t see Corinne Radke, who founded the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. She has been a steady shoulder for the tears of those who have lost loved ones, as she lost her son, to violence. I’ve even seen Corinne in trials where we were the only ones in the gallery: no family for either the victim or defendant.

If you want to volunteer for, or need help from, Parents of Murdered Children, call the local office at 316-265-1600.

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Robinson wants his denial of killing Brooks suppressed

Aug. 29, 20085:48 p.m.

A judge today denied a request by capital murder defendant Elgin Ray Robinson Jr. to withhold from the jury statements he made to police denying that he was involved in the killing of Chelsea Brooks.

Robinson

Robinson

Judge Ben Burgess ruled that Robinson’s statements to police could be used at his trial beginning next month, where he’s accused of orchestrating the murder-for-hire of his pregnant 14-year-old girlfriend in the summer of 2006.

Robinson, 22, said during brief testimony that police coerced statements from him, although he never admitted being involved in the killing.

Prosecutors said they didn’t plan on using his statements, anyway.

The trial is set to begin with jury selection Sept. 22.

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Why do capital murder cases take so long to go to trial?

July 23, 20087:18 p.m.

Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess heard 13 pretrial motions this morning in the capital murder trial of Elgin Ray Robinson Jr.

While most public attention comes during a trial, it is preceded by months of sometimes complex legal arguments. Pretrial motions are an attempt to resolve legal issues, so the trial runs more smoothly. In capital murder cases, there are dozens of such motions.

That’s part of the reason why Robinson is still awaiting trial, more than two years after being charged with arranging the murder-for-hire of his 14-year-old girlfriend, Chelsea Brooks. She was nine months pregnant by Robinson at the time of her death. Ted Burnett went to trial earlier this year for strangling Brooks. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Here’s just one of this morning’s arguments, presented in its entirety in three parts (the two Kansas Supreme Court cases cited involve defendants Gavin Scott and Gary Kleypas).

Defense lawyer Val Wachtel argues his motion to declare the death penalty cruel or unusual punishment under Kansas law: The response by prosecutor Kevin O’Connor: Burgess’ ruling

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Burnett trial juror: Two gave life

May 29, 20082:53 p.m.

Although jurors in the capital murder trial of Ted Burnett didn’t talk to the press publicly, one of the jurors posted on Twitter that the final count in the penalty phase was 10 in favor of the death penalty and two against. It takes a unanimous verdict to hand down a death sentence.

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One witness who won’t testify in Burnett murder trial

May 5, 20082:59 p.m.

Ted Burnett’s capital murder defense won a rare victory before his trial begins next week.

Judge Ben Burgess ruled that Steven White’s testimony was unreliable, or hearsay. White had claimed he had information from Burnett’s girlfriend, Trudy Guthrie, that Burnett confessed in a jailhouse telephone call to killing Chelsea Brooks.

Guthrie denied taking such a phone call from Burnett. Then under cross-examination during the preliminary hearing 18 months ago, White couldn’t remember for sure where Guthrie had heard it.

The information was not just hearsay, lawyer Gary Owens argued for Burnett, but “double hearsay.” Burgess agreed.

Prosecutors had fought to keep the testimony in, because it might have bolstered Everett Gentry’s testimony that Burnett strangled the pregnant teenager in what the state says is a murder-for-hire scheme.

Burnett, 51, goes on trial for capital murder, when jury selection starts next week.

Watch for blog updates during jury selection here and then on the Kansas.com home page for live updates from the courtroom during the trial.

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