Jury finds Olathe man guilty in domestic violence strangulation case

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that a jury found Austin W. Kidder, 32, of Olathe, guilty of aggravated domestic battery in the strangling of a Lawrence woman.

“Thank you to the survivor for reporting this crime and seeking justice,” District Attorney Valdez said. “Ensuring the safety of one another in our community is our shared responsibility and I am grateful to our community for meeting this challenge.”

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on or about August 16, 2022, when Kidder strangled the then 33-year-old Lawrence woman, who had been in a dating relationship with Kidder. At his trial, Kidder also was convicted of criminal damage to property, a class B non-person misdemeanor, for damaging the woman’s mobile phone.

Assistant District Attorney Madeline Bjorklun, who is a member of the District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Brian Deiter represented the State of Kansas. The matter was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department.

Kidder’s sentencing was set by Judge Amy Hanley for 10:30 a.m., on March 29, 2024, at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

For his aggravated domestic battery conviction, Kidder faces between 11 and 34 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. For the criminal damage to property conviction, Kidder faces up to six months in the county jail.