A guy who killed his 23-year-old neighbor over 44 years ago will serve 10 to 25 years in prison. Last Monday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office made public Steven Hanks’ sentence in relation to Mary Walter’s passing.
After Hanks was taken into custody in December 2022 on suspicion of second-degree murder, a plea deal was made in August.
The agreed penalty was five to twenty-five years under Kansas statutes from 1980; nonetheless, a court sentenced the defendant to ten to twenty-five years. Hanks will be turned over to the Kansas Department of Corrections while he is still being held.
The sheriff’s office states that on January 24, 1980, Walter’s body with several gunshot wounds was discovered in her home.
Authorities found the 22-caliber handgun Walter was killed with at the scene. She was married with a single child and enrolled in the nursing program at Barton County Community College, according to KAKE-TV.
Despite creating suspects and interviewing people, investigators were unable to find any solid proof. Hanks was initially recognized by investigators as a potential suspect. At the time, he was purportedly 25 years old.
After decades of unanswered cases, the case was revived in 2022. Investigators arranged hundreds of records that had been gathered over 40 years, according to the sheriff’s office. It was stated that some of the files were missing or incomplete.
Despite reexamining and testing the material for DNA, officials were unable to find any. The sheriff’s office said that investigators also spoke with several people. Many of the law enforcement officers and witnesses who had first worked on the case had passed away, according to deputies.
“After taking a fresh look at the case, it became evident that some information had been initially overlooked and some had been added at a later date,” stated Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The initial investigators were not aware of this.”
In December 2022, the authorities filed a warrant for Hanks’ arrest and submitted an affidavit to the District Court.
Read Also: Police: Redford Township Man Shoots Stepdaughter by Mistake During Argument
“We believe this is the oldest cold case in the State of Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction,” the sheriff’s office stated in a statement.
Records show that Hanks was previously found guilty of attempted rape, aggravated violence, and aggravated robbery.
Leave a Reply