Governor appoints Steve Stockard to fill district court vacancy in the 11^th Judicial District

Today Governor Laura Kelly appointed Steve Stockard to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffry L. Jack.

“Steven is a talented attorney and has extensive experience with a wide variety of legal issues,” Kelly said. “I was particularly struck by his ability to put himself in his client’s shoes and by his passion for foster care. I know he will serve citizens of the 11^th Judicial District well.”

Stockard is a partner at Wilber & Towner, P.A., where he represents clients in a broad range of legal matters including personal injury, bankruptcy, family law and juvenile justice. He also is a part-time prosecutor of juvenile offender and child-in-need-of-care cases for Bourbon and Crawford counties.

His prior experience includes eight years as a Crawford County Assistant County Attorney and time as a staff attorney with the Kansas Department of Revenue. Stockard also is a member of the Kansas Bar Association and a youth volleyball coach at the YMCA. He graduated from Benedictine College in 1992 and earned his juris doctor from Washburn University School of Law in 1996.

“I’m grateful to the nominating commission and to Governor Kelly for the confidence they have placed in me with this appointment,” Stockard said. “I know this community. I know the judges, the lawyers and the people of our district, and I will dedicate myself to serving them fairly and impartially every day. Our district has been blessed with great judges over the years, and I will do my best to honor and be a part of that legacy.”

District court judges in the 11th Judicial District are appointed by the governor and selected from among nominees chosen by a district nominating commission. Judges in nominating commission districts are subject to retention elections every four years. The two other nominees selected by the district nominating commission were Hon. Samuel Marsh, (Cherokee County district magistrate judge, Columbus), and Shane Adamson (private practice attorney, Parsons).

Escaped Resident from Parsons State Hospital Treatment Program in Custody

PARSONS – The Labette County Sheriff’s office has confirmed to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) that Parsons State Hospital Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) resident Randy Snodgrass was arrested and taken into custody at 1:30 a.m. this morning in Neosho County near K-47 Highway and Ness Road.

Snodgrass, a 58-year-old male, was being transported by a hospital staff member yesterday morning when he escaped.

“This morning I want to extend a sincere thank you to local law enforcement officials for their effective efforts to keep the public advised and updated about this situation and their thoroughness in tracking down and taking Mr. Snodgrass into custody,” KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. “I believe their immediate and focused attention was critical to his capture.”

Snodgrass is currently being held in Neosho County.

PARSONS – Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) resident Randy Snodgrass, a 58-year-old white male, was being transported by a Parsons State Hospital and Training Center (PSHTC) staff member earlier today when he escaped on foot.

Local law enforcement and EMS responded to the scene. A hospital staff member was transported to a local hospital where she was treated and released this afternoon.

“The priority for us right now is the safety of our hospital staff and of the general public. Officials at the hospital are working very closely with local law enforcement to ensure this resident is apprehended quickly and without further incident,” said Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Laura Howard. “I am in constant contact with the superintendent at Parsons and am actively monitoring the situation.”

Snodgrass is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 195 pounds and was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black pants. Labette County Emergency Management has issued a “Be on The Lookout” through its code red notification system and is instructing the public to not approach, call 911. Snodgrass is considered armed and dangerous.

PSHTC and KDADS officials are fully cooperating with law enforcement’s ongoing investigation. New information will be released as it becomes available.

Kansas Bowhunter Takes World-Class Whitetail

WICHITA – Kansas bowhunter, Brian Butcher, 38, harvested a whitetail buck in Chase County last October that he knew was something special. It wasn’t until the buck’s rack was measured by Boone and Crockett Club certified measurers on Friday, Jan. 3 that Butcher confirmed just how special the deer was. Butcher’s whitetail earned an unofficial net non-typical score of 321 3/8 inches. If accepted and verified by the Boone and Crockett Club – an internationally recognized non-profit conservation organization that maintains native North American big game records – the deer Butcher harvested would rank fourth in the world for non-typical whitetail deer. As for the Kansas record books, Butcher’s buck will be the largest non-typical whitetail ever taken, surpassing the current state record for a non-typical whitetail harvested with archery equipment by 57 2/8 inches.

“When I first saw it, I thought it had some branches or grass tangled up in its antlers,” said Butcher. “But when I looked at him with binoculars, I realized it was all antlers.”

Butcher released his arrow when the giant buck was just 25 yards from his treestand and the shot was true. After waiting only 5-10 minutes, Butcher tracked the deer to a spot 50 yards away.

“I had the most opposite feeling of ‘ground shrinkage’ possible,” Butcher said of the big whitetail with 67 scorable points. “I was in complete shock.”

After sharing photos of the buck with friend Brian Crowe, the duo got together and attempted to score the deer.

“We added it up five times because it didn’t make sense,” Butcher laughed. “We had it at 341 inches gross, and 316 inches net.”

According to Boone and Crockett guidelines, the rack could not be officially measured until it had dried for at least 60 days. On January 3, Boone and Crockett measurers Marc Murrell, Newton, and Ken Witt, Burleson, Tex., took on what would become a nearly five-hour-long task of scoring the deer. Murrell and Witt came up with a pending net non-typical score of 321 3/8 inches.

The score sheet and entry materials on Butcher’s buck have been mailed to the Boone and Crockett Club headquarters for verification and acceptance. Because of its high ranking, the rack will be scored again by a panel of measurers at the Boone and Crockett Club’s next awards ceremony in 2022.

If it stands, Butcher’s buck will rank fourth in the world of non-typical whitetails. Boone and Crockett’s top two non-typical whitetails were found dead in Missouri and Ohio and scored 333 7/8 inches and 328 2/8 inches, respectively.

The largest hunter-harvested non-typical whitetail was taken by bowhunter Luke Brewster in Illinois in 2018 and scored 327 7/8 inches.

The current Kansas state record firearm non-typical whitetail was taken in 1987 by Joseph Waters in Shawnee County and scored 280 4/8 inches. The current Kansas state record archery non-typical whitetail was shot by Dale Larson in 1998 in Pottawatomie County and scored 264 1/8 inches.

For more on Kansas big game records, visit ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/What-to-Hunt.

For more on the Boone and Crockett Club, visit www.boone-crockett.org/.