Convicted felon pleads to aggravated battery of a 19-year-old Lawrence woman

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Major C. Edwards, Jr., 44, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery.

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning on June 10, 2023, when Lawrence Police were called to an apartment in the 1400 block of W. 7th. St., where Edwards, while naked, had broken into a then 19-year-old woman’s bedroom and tackled her to the ground. Another woman in the apartment was able to intervene and called police.

At the time of the battery, Edwards was on parole for a 2006 voluntary manslaughter conviction in Douglas County.

“Our commitment remains unwavering to ensuring safety in our community and holding those accountable who commit violent offenses,” District Attorney Valdez said. 

Assistant District Attorney Samantha Foster represented the State of Kansas. The matter was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department.

Judge Stacey Donovan set Edwards’ sentencing for 9:30 a.m., on July 3, 2024, at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Edwards faces seven to 23 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections.