Teen charged with involuntary manslaughter in death of Leavenworth High School senior
A 19-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of an 18-year-old Leavenworth High School senior, according to prosecutors.
Ismael Caleb Salinas-Richardson was charged after a fight near Sixth and Shawnee streets in downtown Leavenworth Monday left the victim, Eric Miller, critically injured.
Police sought Salinas-Richardson for several days. He was arrested overnight in Grandview, Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens announced Thursday.
The evening of Miller’s injury, officers were called to the gym after a tense basketball game led to a physical fight in a downtown Leavenworth gym, Kitchens said. Miller was taken to the hospital and died late Tuesday night as a result of his injuries.
Facebook posts about Miller mourn the high school senior and football player. The Leavenworth Football Booster Club shared the news of his death with “heavy hearts and deep sadness.”
In a release, Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson explained his office’s reasoning behind the charges filed against Salinas-Richardson.
“A prosecutor has an ethical duty to protect the innocent and convict the guilty, consider the interests of victims and witnesses, and respect the constitutional and legal rights of all persons, including suspects and defendants,” Thompson wrote. “A prosecutor must also refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause.”
Salinas-Richardson is being held in Grandview, according to Kitchens.
This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 2:26 PM.