Suspects in girl’s dragging death, other Wichita homicides all charged with murder
Defendants in three Wichita death cases, including one where a 13-year-old girl was dragged outside of her family’s SUV after an alleged car thief stole it from a restaurant parking lot, were all formally charged with murder on Tuesday in connection with their alleged crimes.
Kevin Michael James Palmer, 34, was arrested by Wichita police on Saturday when he ran from the stolen SUV after dragging the girl for several miles along Kellogg over the noon hour. Police have previously said the girl, whom relatives and friends have identified online as Brianna Ibarra, was sitting in the back seat waiting for her relatives to get food from the restaurant when Palmer got into the driver’s seat and took off. The vehicle was running at the time.
She got caught up in a seat belt when she tried to get out of the vehicle as it was moving, authorities have said. Police jailed Palmer on suspicion of murder and other crimes.
Palmer is charged with first-degree felony murder — which carries a presumptive life prison sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years — and felony theft, court records show. He is due in court again on Feb. 18. He has a lengthy rap sheet that includes prison time served for prior theft and fleeing from law enforcement convictions, Kansas Department of Corrections records show.
Wichita police also arrested 22-year-old Dontenize Lamar Kelly late last week on suspicion of capital murder in connection with the recent slayings of a teenage couple. Michael Beasley, 17, was found dead outside of an abandoned church at Ninth and Ash on Feb. 1. The body of his girlfriend, 18-year-old Kaylah Blackmon, was discovered in her Ford Escape at Kingston Cove Apartments, in the 500 block of West 27th Street South, three days later. Police have said the couple was shot to death, likely in Blackmon’s SUV.
Prosecutors charged Kelly with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, court records show, instead of pursuing a capital murder charge. His next court date is March 1. A first-degree premeditated murder conviction carries a presumptive life prison sentence with parole eligibility after 50 years.
The third defendant, 20-year-old Jose Garcia-Martinez, made his first appearance in court in connection with a July 2020 homicide carried out at an address on South San Pablo, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said via email. Roy Hayden, 47, of Wichita, suffered a brutal group beating at a home in the 800 block of South San Pablo on July 1 or July 2 and was dumped in the trunk of a Volvo that was later found abandoned in the 1500 block of North Broadway.
Several people are already facing criminal charges in connection with Hayden’s killing. Garcia-Martinez is charged with first-degree felony murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery, court records show. His next court date is Feb. 25.
The hearings took place Tuesday afternoon at the Sedgwick County District Courthouse in downtown Wichita. All three of the men facing charges remained in the Sedgwick County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of bond.
Palmer is being held on $500,000 bond in connection with the girl’s dragging death and a total of $11,000 in bonds for theft and unrelated domestic violence cases, according to online jail records.
Kelly is being held on $1 million bond in the teens’ double slaying and on a $65,000 bond tied to an alleged probation violation, records show.
Garcia-Martinez was being held on $250,000 bond Tuesday before his court appearance.
GoFundMe for girl who was dragged
A friend of Brianna Ibarra’s family is raising money for her funeral and burial costs, as well as other expenses her relatives might incur dealing with her death. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-friend-with-an-unexpected-loss-of-a-child.
The fundraiser had raised nearly $38,000 of its $75,000 goal by mid-afternoon Tuesday.
“Our family is still grieving and dealing with the investigation,” one relative told The Eagle. “At this time we are asking for a little time to mourn our sweet girl.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 1:38 PM.
