Man who stole SUV, dragged Wichita girl to death on Kellogg is sentenced to 41 years
The man convicted of second-degree reckless murder in a 13-year-old Wichita girl’s February 2021 dragging death has been sentenced to more than 41 years in prison.
Kevin M. Palmer, 37, pleaded guilty to the charge in the Feb. 6, 2021, death of Brianna Ibarra, who was killed after Palmer stole her family’s SUV from the parking lot of a west-side restaurant. Palmer, who told police he was homeless and seeking a warmth from the snowy afternoon, got into the running and unlocked 2017 Ford Escape after seeing it parked at the Texas Roadhouse, 6707 W. Kellogg.
He claimed he didn’t see Brianna, who stayed in the SUV while her family had lunch in the restaurant, in the back seat, according to an affidavit released by the court.
Brianna got caught in a seat belt outside of the SUV when she tried to escape from the moving vehicle. Wichita police have said she was fatally dragged for several miles along Kellogg over the noon hour while other motorists called 911 and tried frantically to get Palmer to stop.
Sedgwick County District Judge Kevin Mark Smith imposed the 493-month prison sentence on Wednesday and also ordered Palmer to pay $1,325 in restitution to a state fund that compensates crime victims, said Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. In doing so, the judge denied a motion from Palmer’s lawyer arguing Palmer deserved probation or a much shorter prison sentence — less than nine years — because he had “already spent a significant amount of time in custody,” had accepted responsibility and “is willing to take advantage” of community-based treatment programs, court records show.
Palmer pleaded guilty to the amended murder charge, which accused him of “unintentionally but recklessly” killing Brianna “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life” on Aug. 18, court records say. He was originally charged with first-degree murder and felony theft.
