Kansas City man pleads guilty to murder in Johnson County drunk-driving crash
A Kansas City man has been convicted of murder stemming from an Overland Park drunk-driving crash that left a 62-year-old woman dead.
Alexander G. Kohrs, 24, pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of second-degree reckless murder in the death of Karla J. O’Malley, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.
Kohrs was driving near West 95th Street and Moody Park Circle on Oct. 30, 2022, when he rear-ended O’Malley’s vehicle, according to an Overland Park police report.
Prosecutors charged Kohrs 10 weeks later with second-degree murder or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence.
In a previous interview with The Star, Megan Hillen, O’Malley’s daughter, said her mother’s injuries included serious brain damage. She spent weeks in an intensive care unit before she was transferred to hospice.
O’Malley died about 40 days after the crash.
Under the terms of a plea agreement entered Tuesday, prosecutors and Kohrs’ defense attorney agreed to jointly recommend a prison sentence of 100 months, or a little more than 8 years.
Kohrs also agreed to pay costs of court fees and restitution ordered in the case.
Kohrs is scheduled to be sentenced April 16.
The Star’s Andrea Klick contributed to this report.
