Sentencing for the Highway 59 Shooting Defendant

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces Lawrence resident Edward J. Parker, 25, was sentenced today in the Division Six courtroom of the Honorable Peggy C. Kittel to 216 months in prison for his January 9 no contest plea to attempted second degree murder.  The Court also ordered $123,167.55 in restitution be paid for the victim’s medical expenses and ordered upon his eventual release from prison that he must register as a violent offender for 15 years. 

The case co-defendant Brittany Smith was sentenced on January 9 to 100 months in prison for her October 24, 2014 guilty plea to conspiracy to commit first degree murder.  That same day she was also sentenced 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.

Filing of these cases was a 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, South of Lawrence.  Ms. Smith via text messages lured the victim to drive south of Lawrence to meet with a fictitious person.  Mr. Parker 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.

These cases were investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and were prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney David Melton.

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