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After Olathe murder, Johnson County prosecutor wants to try 14-year-olds as adults

By Steve Kraske,

Published May 24, 2022 at 4:05 PM CDT

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Black Bob Park on 151st Street in Olathe was the site of the killing.

Six juveniles are facing felony murder charges after a killing in Black Bob Park in Olathe. The Johnson County district attorney is seeking to try four of them — all 14-years old — as adults, an exceedingly uncommon occurrence in Kansas.

Six teenagers have been charged in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old Smithville man at an Olathe park on May 14. The Johnson County District Attorney’s office is seeking to try four of them — all 14 years old — as adults. The other two teens are 13 and can’t be tried as adults under Kansas law.

KCUR's Dan Margolies joined host Steve Kraske on Up To Date to discuss just how rare it is for 14-year-olds to be tried as adults in Kansas.

Dan Margolies, health and legal affairs reporter for KCUR

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Up To Date Podcast criminal justice crime homicide Olathe Teenagers Johnson County District Attorney

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

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Dan Margolies

Dan Margolies has been a reporter for the Kansas City Business Journal, The Kansas City Star, and KCUR Public Radio. He retired as a reporter in December 2022 after a 37-year journalism career.

See stories by Dan Margolies