7 charged with felony murder in drug-related death of Kansas woman

Seven people have been charged with felony murder in connection with the drug-related vehicular death of a woman near Paola in Miami County, Kan.

Heather Briggs, 23, of Baldwin City, Kan., was killed after she was intentionally hit by a car early Friday morning in the 31500 block of Look-Out Road, 2 miles west of Paola.

Authorities found Briggs about 2 a.m. underneath the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors say Briggs was run over during the commission of a felony drug deal involving the distribution of methamphetamine.

Nichole J. Razo, the suspected driver, was charged Tuesday with first-degree felony murder. Razo, 21, of Parker, Kan., was in jail in Miami County on a $1 million bond.

Six other people were charged Wednesday with the same crime. They are: Curtis Cooley, 29 of Osawatomie; Seth Herron, 25, of Paola; April Lunsford, 36, of Paola; Michael Pearce, 27, of Osawatomie; David Rhoades, 24, of Osawatomie; and Kevin Stevens, 29, of Osawatomie.

Bond was set at $1 million for each defendant, Miami County authorities said.

The maximum punishment for a first-degree felony murder conviction in Kansas is life in prison.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 5:03 PM with the headline "7 charged with felony murder in drug-related death of Kansas woman."