A Sentencing and Plea for the Highway 59 Shooting Case Defendants

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces Eudora resident Brittany N. Smith, 21, was sentenced today in the Division Six courtroom of the Honorable Peggy C. Kittel to 100 months in prison for her October 24, 2014 guilty plea to conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The Court also ordered $121,541.75 in restitution be paid for the victim’s medical expenses and ordered upon her eventual release from prison that she must register as a violent offender for 15 years. In a separate case, Ms. Smith was also sentenced today to six months in jail for her no contest plea to driving under the influence. The sentence in that case will run concurrent to her sentence in the conspiracy to commit first degree murder case.

The filing of Ms. Smith’s criminal case and the criminal case against the co-defendant were the result of the May 26, 2014 shooting of a victim while he was driving his pickup truck southbound on Highway 59 in rural Douglas County. Ms. Smith via text messages lured the victim to drive south of Lawrence to meet with a fictitious person. The co-defendant in the case, Lawrence resident Edward J. Parker, 25, was then informed by Ms. Smith when and where the victim could be located. He followed the victim, pulled alongside his truck and fired multiple shots into it. The victim was struck several times.

In a separate hearing today, Mr. Parker plead no contest to attempted second degree murder. The Court scheduled his sentencing hearing for February 20 at 11:30 a.m. His bond was revoked and he will remain in custody.

This incident and the two criminal cases that were filed were investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and were prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney David Melton.

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