Preliminary hearings set for men charged in killings of KCK police officers

Two men charged with capital murder in the fatal shootings of two Kansas City, Kan., police officers made separate court appearances Thursday.

Curtis Ayers, 29, is charged in the May killing of Detective Brad Lancaster.

Jamaal R. Lewis, 20, is charged with killing Capt. Robert Melton in July.

Because both men face a potential death sentence if convicted, they are being represented by attorneys from the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit.

At Thursday’s hearing for Ayers, his lawyers asked for a continuance of his preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 21 in Wyandotte County District Court.

Defense attorney Jeff Dazey said that Ayers recently underwent abdominal surgery, and his lawyers have not been able to meet with him to prepare for the hearing.

Ayers was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair Thursday.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Tatum objected to the continuance and said the state was ready to proceed.

District Judge Bill Klapper found that there was good cause for the continuance and granted it.

A new preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 13.

Lancaster was killed near the Kansas Speedway. After he was shot, Ayers allegedly stole his car and committed two carjackings and shot a woman in another carjacking attempt before he was shot and wounded by Kansas City police several hours after the detective was shot.

Melton was helping other officers look for suspects in a drive-by shooting when he was shot near 22nd Street and Georgia Avenue on July 19. Lewis was arrested nearby about 20 minutes later.

Lewis’ preliminary hearing was set for March 6.

At Thursday’s hearing, attorneys in his case discussed DNA testing and whether the defense would be allowed to have an expert observe testing that will be done at the Johnson County Crime Lab.

District Judge Wes Griffin gave the defense until Dec. 2 to file additional documents to address the issue.

The issue will be taken up at the next court hearing on Dec. 27.

This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Preliminary hearings set for men charged in killings of KCK police officers."