Canada men charged in ’20 murder
Staff writer
Charges were filed last week against two Canada men who allegedly obstructed apprehension of a man charged in October with first degree murder.
Jason M. Kirkby, 38, who with his father owns a house and outbuildings at 1941 Narrow Rd. in Canada, was charged April 7 with obstructing apprehension or prosecution by concealing or aiding Robert B. Mans, who is himself charged with murder.
Mans is accused of murdering Shalan Niccole Gannon, a Wichita woman whose body was discovered June 7 in the Ninnescah River. According to the charges against Mans, the murder took place at the Canada address.
Jason Kirkby is also charged with interference with law enforcement and criminal desecration.
According to the complaint filed against him, Jason Kirkby concealed, destroyed, or altered evidence of the crime. The desecration charge is for allegedly obtaining unauthorized control of a dead body or remains of a human being.
On Thursday, Michael L. Kirkby, 61, also of Canada, was formally charged with the same three charges.
The pair made first appearances in court Monday and applied for an attorney to be appointed for them.
According to Michael Kirkby’s application, Mans is his stepson and Jason Kirkby is his son. He claims to be unemployed because of vision issues and no insurance.
Preliminary hearings for both are scheduled for May 5.
The Kirkbys have a history of being delinquent on property taxes.
Kansas Department of Corrections records show Michael Kirkby was sentenced Aug. 15, 1991, for manufacture, possession, or distribution of opiates, opium, or narcotics. He spent three months in prison before being put on probation.
Jason Kirkby, 38, spent July 27 to 29 in the Sedgwick County jail on a municipal court sentence for a traffic conviction.
Before that, he was sentenced to community corrections Dec. 3, 2018, for possession of opiates, opium, narcotics, or stimulants. He also has 12 prior convictions for burglary, aggravated burglary, and theft spanning from 2007 to 2011.
Twice he was sent to prison, once for four months, and four years later for four years.
He was last released Sept. 12, 2016.
Both are scheduled for preliminary hearing on the charges May 5.