Man killed 18-year-old during argument at Wichita fourplex. He’s going to prison
A Wichita man was sentenced Tuesday to 8 years, 11 months in prison for killing a teenager during a fight at a southeast Wichita fourplex in 2022.
Michael Dwayne Austin Jr., 40, pleaded guilty in February to one count of voluntary manslaughter in the Sept. 23, 2022, fatal shooting of 18-year-old Amyion McDowel-Mitchell at 5016 E. Osie, near Harry and Oliver. Prosecutors originally charged Austin with second-degree intentional murder and two counts of aggravated assault but amended the murder count and dismissed the others when he pleaded guilty, court records show.
Sedgwick County District Judge Eric Williams followed the plea agreement and sentenced Austin to 107 months in prison, followed by three years of post-release supervision, Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, said by email. Austin was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution the Crime Victims Compensation Board to cover the victim’s funeral expenses, Dillon said.
Prosecutors and police have said Austin pulled a gun and shot McDowel-Mitchell once in the head as the teen came out of 5016 E. Osie during an argument. Austin had been at a neighboring address, 5010 E. Osie, for a child’s birthday party that day and McDowel-Mitchell was with a group of friends and family members next door.
Witnesses told police the argument started after McDowel-Mitchell and others returned to the fourplex apartments after a trip to the store and some men at the birthday party started questioning whether he was affiliated with a certain gang because of the color of his sweatshirt, a probable cause affidavit says. A witness also said Austin had threatened a woman and called her names, according to the document.
Wichita police found McDowel-Mitchell lying unconscious in the courtyard between two fourplex apartment buildings with a gunshot wound to his head, court records say. He died at Wesley Medical Center the next day.
