Lawrence man sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for assaulting a sleeping woman in her home

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Lee Andrew Mitchell Pennington, 35, of Lawrence, was sentenced to total of 162 months in prison for felony aggravated burglary, felony aggravated assault and one misdemeanor count of stalking.

Judge Amy Hanley sentenced Mitchell Pennington, who was found guilty by a jury in September 2022, to 162 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated burglary, 12 months in the KDOC for aggravated assault and 12 months in county jail for stalking. Each sentence will run concurrently. The court also ordered 36 months post-release supervision.

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours on October 30, 2021, in which Mitchell Pennington followed the victim home and then, while wearing a surgical mask, entered the victim’s home in the 1400 block of Kentucky Street and assaulted the sleeping victim before fleeing.

Police utilized nearby security camera footage, DNA evidence and geo-fencing data to identify Mitchell Pennington, who was not known to the victim, as the suspect in the case.

“A home invasion is an inherently dangerous crime,” District Attorney Valdez said. “Thanks to advances in technology, diligent investigation by the Lawrence Police Department, and the bravery and cooperation of the survivor, this office was able to hold a violent offender accountable for his criminal conduct.”

The State was represented by Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden. The case was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.