Man who shot Kansas sheriff, undersheriff had laundry basket full of weapons

Information released Monday shared more insight into the April 29 shootings that wounded a Rice County sheriff and undersheriff.

Judge Mike Keeley unsealed the information after the shooter’s girlfriend entered a plea agreement. Erin Baker, the girlfriend of the shooter, David Madden, was driving the car when Madden fired at undersheriff Chad Murphy. Baker’s 7-year-old son was in the backseat at the time.

According to the document released Monday:

Murphy spotted Madden at the Casey’s General Store in Sterling.

Madden was wanted on a federal warrant after officers found 24 metal pipe bombs and an “AK-47 machinegun” at his home in Alden, according to federal documents. State documents show Madden also had a warrant from failing a drug test for methamphetamine.

Murphy stopped Madden and Baker’s vehicle after they left the store. Baker knew Madden was a felon who “always carried a (.)45 caliber handgun for protection.”

When Baker stopped across the street from the store, “David told Erin he was not going back to jail.”

Murphy was approaching the passenger side and telling Madden to come out when Madden leaned out and started opening fire. The first shot hit Murphy in the jugular, paralyzing his right side. He reached across with his left hand to draw his weapon. A second shot hit him in the left shoulder.

Murphy started to retreat and was then shot in his back and in his side.

Madden, who had gotten out of the car during the shooting, got back into the car. Madden forced Baker to “drive away at gun point.”

Baker took Madden to his home in Alden, where he loaded the car with a “laundry basket filled with guns and ammunition.”

Alden Fire Chief Russell Kocher heard the emergency call from dispatch and saw Madden put the guns in the trunk. He saw Madden get in the driver’s seat and take off; Baker was in the passenger seat.

Kocher called Sheriff Bryant Evans and followed the car to Madden’s childhood home in rural Raymond. Madden’s father, Thomas “Tom” Madden, lived alone at the home.

“David unloaded the basket of firearms from the trunk and caught Tom in the yard of the residence,” the document says. “David began chasing and shooting at Tom as he ran toward the house. David shot and killed Tom on the back porch of the residence.”

Tom Madden’s autopsy showed he had blunt trauma to the face. He was shot in the chest and in the leg after he died.

“A few moments later,” the document says, “(Kocher) saw the vehicle leave westbound. (Kocher) decided to follow the car driven by (Baker with the child in the backseat). (Kocher) drove in front of Tom’s house and (Madden) shot his Dodge truck 6 times causing it to become disabled and coast toward the west along the roadway.”

Madden also fired at another Rice County sheriff’s deputy that drove by, but didn’t hit the deputy’s vehicle.

As Sheriff Evans went to pass the home, a bullet penetrated the door of his patrol vehicle, went into his left leg and out the other side. Evans said the bullet stayed inside of his pant leg and burned his inner thigh.

Madden continued to shoot at the vehicles as officers and Kocher were pinned down, the document says.

After Madden exchanged gunfire with officers, he killed himself.

Evans returned to work three days later. Murphy is still undergoing physical therapy and hopes to make it back to work before the one-year anniversary of the shooting.

Baker pleaded no contest to obstructing apprehension of Madden and aggravated endangering of a child. As part of the plea, a charge of interference was dropped.

Baker’s sentencing is set for Dec. 18. Her sentence assumes probation.