Shawnee Police investigate apparent murder-suicide | Victims identified

Posted: December 23, 2013 - 2:39am
Updated: December 24, 2013 - 12:18am

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Shawnee Police were called to an address in the 10800 block of W. 72nd Terrace around 9:25 p.m. Sunday. The address between Nieman Road and Goddard Drive.

Officers were called to the address in reference to what police are describing as an unknown call for the police. When officers arrived they located two people deceased inside the home.


In a statement released early Monday, department spokesperson Major Bill Hisle says,  "both victims suffered gunshot wounds. One of the victim's wounds appeared to be self-inflicted. Both lived at the residence and were Shawnee residents."

Monday afternoon, police have identified the deceased as, 57-year-old, Deborah K. Clare and her husband, 46-year-old, Michael A. Clare.

A news release says, "preliminary investigation reveals that Michael first shot his wife and then himself." Police are still working to determine a possible motive.

Officers remained at the home most of the day Monday.

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Olathe Police investigate attempted murder/suicide

Posted: September 7, 2013 - 10:34am
Updated: September 10, 2013 - 2:56pm

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Olathe Police are investigating what they believe to be an attempted murder and suicide.

Police, Olathe Fire and Med-Act were called to the 16200 block of 124th Circle at 12:07, Saturday morning, on a reported injury accident.

Police arrived to find a man and woman inside a vehicle. The man was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators have identified the male as Jonathan Fischbach, 21, of Olathe, Kansas.

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Johnson County Med-Act transported the woman to an area trauma center with critical injuries. Their injuries are not believed to have been related to the vehicle accident.

In a news release, police say a handgun was recovered from inside the vehicle.

The female victim has not been identified.

Olathe Police continue to investigate the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call Olathe Police at 913-971-6950 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

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Stabbing suspect charged with attempted murder

Posted: August 26, 2013 - 1:45am
Updated: August 27, 2013 - 4:06pm

Update:

As of Tuesday afternoon, court records show the suspect in Monday morning's stabbing and standoff in Gardner has been charged with attempted second-degree murder. 

Johnson County prosecutors have charged, 35-year-old, David Lee Conner, who is a Gardner resident. Conner is being held at the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Central Booking Center in Olathe on at $75,000 bond

Gardner Police also arrested a 31-year-old female resident of the same address Monday evening. Court records show that she was wanted for failure to appear on a theft charge.

Original Report:

Photo from the Gardner Police Department's Facebook page

Gardner Police and the Johnson County Sheriff's office are engaged in an apparent standoff with a stabbing suspect this morning.

Police were called to a mobile home in the 1000 block of Buffalo Trail around 1 a.m. Monday. The mobile home is part of the Conestoga Estates mobile home park, on east Santa Fe Street in Gardner, just south east of Main Street and Moonlight Road.

The suspect left the scene and was reportedly spotted running inside another mobile home in the same park.

Johnson County Med-Act reported a male with a stab wound to the neck, his injury was not believed to be immediately life threatening. The man was transported to an area hospital for further treatment.

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Police quickly moved to the location where the alleged suspect is believed to be hiding out.

Gardner Police are currently confirming very few details surrounding the incident. Officers confirmed that the Johnson County Sheriff's Office's SERT is preparing to respond to the scene. SERT is the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team.

Shortly before 4 a.m., Johnson County's mobile command post arrived near the scene to assist. Reports indicate that at least two neighboring mobile homes have been evacuated as a precaution.

Police confirmed that the incident ended before 7 a.m.. Gardner Police say the Sheriff's Office SERT team was used in the incident but, this was not a standoff. SERT entered the mobile home after obtaining a search warrant. The stabbing suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

Gardner Police say this appears to be a dispute over a woman. An ex-boyfriend or possibly ex-husband stabbed the woman's new boyfriend. Again, the stabbing victim is being treated at an area hospital. He is expected to be released today.

Stay with Operation 100 News on this blog and on Twitter for the latest details as they become available. Remember where you heard this news first, Operation 100 News, reporting the news to the public as it breaks.

Operation 100 News tweeted about this incident in real time and posted this story at 1:45 a.m.. At 5 a.m., other Kansas City area media was just starting to put the pieces together to what we had been reporting all morning long.

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Attempted murder charges filed following armed disturbance call

Posted: June 26, 2013 - 5:47am
Updated: June 27, 2013 - 11:08pm

Shawnee Police Department patrol vehicle
Operation 100 News - Mike Frizzell

Shawnee Police say at 12:55 a.m. Wednesday, they were called to respond on an armed disturbance in the 5400 block of Flint Street.

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Police were called after, 69-year-old, Dennis W. Davey was found bleeding outside of his home. Witnesses reported three people running from the home and a dog barking. A witness detained one of the people who was trying to run from the address, until police arrived.

Captain Doug Orbin says officers arrived and contacted the victim who was able to talk with officers before being transported by a Johnson County Med-Act ambulance from the scene.

Mr. Davey was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center where he was said to be in critical condition later Wednesday morning.

Police apprehended, 22-year-old, Nicole Carter near the scene. Carter is said to be Mr. Davey's step-daughter who was not currently living at the address.

The Shawnee Police Department's canine unit searched the area and eventually located two other suspects in the attack. Adam Hersh, 23, and Whitney Hersh, 24, both of Kansas City, Missouri.

All three suspects were questioned by detectives and then transported to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office  Central Booking Facility in Olathe.

Court records show that Nicole Carter and Whitney Hersh both face charges of attempted premeditated first degree murder. Both women are being held on $500,000 bonds at the Johnson County Adult Detention Center in Olathe.

Adam Hersh faces an attempted first degree murder charge. He is being held on a $500,000 bond at the New Century Adult Detention Center near Gardner.

All three suspects are scheduled to make court appearances Friday afternoon. The Sheriff's Office has not released the suspects mugshots.

Operation 100 News was the only media reporting this story as it was unfolding early Wednesday. No other media outlet reported on the incident until Wednesday evening. 

Stay with Operation 100 News on this blog and on Twitter for the latest details as they become available. Remember where you heard this news first, Operation 100 News, reporting the news to the public as it breaks.

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Second man arrested and charged in 2010 murder of Shawnee business owner

Posted: June 5, 2013 - 12:27am

Bruce Ashley Jr., 30
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Johnson County authorities have located and arrested the second man wanted in connection with the 2010 murder of Shawnee liquor store owner Gerry Grovenburg.

Sheriff's Office booking logs show that Bruce Ashley Jr., 30, was arrested in Jackson County, Missouri and transferred to the custody of the Johnson County, Kansas Sheriff's Office. He was booked into the Johnson County Adult Detention Center in Olathe on Friday, May 31st. Ashley is charged with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.

Larry Marshall Jr., 33, was arrested in Blytheville, Arkansas on Friday, May 17th and transferred to Johnson County authorities on Friday, May 24th. Marshall is also charged with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.

Larry Marshall Jr., 33
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Johnson County booking photo

The arrests come just over three years after a customer found Gerry Grovenburg shot to death on the floor of his business, Mr. G's Liquor Store, located a 7635 Quivira Road in Shawnee. The murder occurred around 10:30 p.m. on May 12, 2010. Grovenburg was 61-years old and had planned to retire in 2011.

Both men are being held on separate $1 million bonds at the New Century Adult Detention Center near Gardner and are scheduled to appear in Johnson County District Court on Thursday, June 6th at 9:30 a.m..





Related reports:
Second man sought in 2010 murder of Shawnee liquor store owner - May 25, 2013

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Two men sentenced following 2010 murder of Shawnee liquor store owner

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 1:07pm
Updated: October 10, 2014 - 12:19pm

October 10, 2014 Update:

Bruce Julius Ashley Jr. 31
Johnson County Sheriff's Office photo

Bruce Julius Ashley Jr., 31, has been sentenced to life plus 43 months. The life sentence comes nearly four and a half years after the murder of Shawnee liquor store owner Gerry Grovenburg in May 2010.

Ashley was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery on August 15, 2014, after his cousin, Larry Marshall, testified against him.
Both Ashley and Marshall eluded arrest for more than three years after the murder. Marshall testified that he was the getaway driver.

In exchange for his testimony, murder charges were dropped against Marshall, and he plead guilty to lesser charges of aggravated robbery and aiding a person charged with a felony. He was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.

August 15, 2014 Update:

On May 12, 2010, a customer found 61-year-old Gerry Grovenburg shot to death behind the counter of the liquor store he and his wife had owned for 35 years.

Three years later, two men were arrested and charged in the murder. Today, both men remain in the custody of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.

Bruce Julius Ashley Jr., now 31, is on trial for first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. He entered a plea of not guilty on September 24, 2013.

Larry Marshall, now 34, is scheduled to change his not guilty plea to a guilty, as part of a plea agreement to testify against Bruce Ashley.

June 5, 2013 Update:

Second man arrested and charged in 2010 murder of Shawnee business owner

New information: May 28, 2013

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe is asking for the public's assistance in locating a second man allegedly involved in the murder of Shawnee liquor store owner Gerry Grovenburg.

Authorities say Bruce Julius Ashley Jr. and Larry Marshall are suspects in the May 2010 death of Mr. G's Liquor Store owner and Spring Hill resident Gerry Grovenburg. The murder allegedly occurred when their attempt to rob the store didn't go as planned.

Larry Marshall was arrested in Arkansas on May 17th and is now in the custody of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office; full report below.

Officials say 30-year-old Bruce Julius Ashley Jr. remains at large. His last known location was in the Kansas City area, and he is believed to still be in this area.

A news release from the Johnson County District Attorney's office says, "Mr. Ashley is a fugitive from justice." The release says that Mr. Ashley should be considered armed and dangerous. District Attorney Steve Howe also said that anyone found to be helping Mr. Ashley will be charged with a felony.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of  Bruce Julius Ashley Jr. is asked to call Shawnee Police at 913-742-6795 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

The Shawnee Police Department has been assisted in this investigation by a Kansas City Metro Squad, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the Johnson County Crime Lab, FBI, the Blytheville (Arkansas) Police Department, and the Mississippi County (Arkansas) Sheriff's Office.

Updated original report:

Operation 100 News was the first to report this story, with the suspect's name and mugshot, following his arraignment. Other media followed days later. Stop getting left behind, learn how you can receive personalized alerts when news happens.

Larry Marshall, 33
Johnson County Sheriff's Office booking photo

A source familiar with the investigation tells Operation 100 News that an arrest has been made in the 2010 murder of Shawnee liquor store owner Gerry Grovenburg. Gerry and his wife, Mary Ellen Grovenburg, owned Mr. G's Liquor Store, located at 7635 Quivira Road.

Johnson County Booking Records show that 33-year-old Larry Marshall of Blytheville, Arkansas was transferred to the custody of Johnson County authorities on Friday, May 24th. Marshall has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated robbery. He is being held at the Johnson County Adult Detention Center in Olathe on a $1 million bond.



Marshall was arrested at home in Arkansas on Friday, May 17th, and later transferred to Johnson County.

Mr. G's Liquor Store 7635 Quivira Road in Shawnee
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The arrest comes just over three years after a customer found Gerry Grovenburg shot to death on the floor of his business.

Court records show that the case was filed by Shawnee Police on Monday, May 13, 2013. A Johnson County Judge issued an arrest warrant for Marshall and ordered the case sealed until the suspect was in Sheriff's Office custody.


Johnson County court records of the case were unsealed when Marshall made his first court appearance on May 28th.

The murder occurred sometime before 10:30 p.m. on May 12, 2010. Grovenburg was 61 years old and had planned to retire in 2011.

On July 13, 2010, Johnson County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Larry Marshall for battery on a law enforcement officer. He was eventually sentenced to and served 10 months in jail. It is unclear if Marshall was considered a person of interest during that time.

The Kansas City Metro Squad handled the early stages of the investigation. The case was handed back to Shawnee Police after the Metro Squad detectives interviewed several persons of interest in 2010.

At that time, detectives said the suspect did not take any alcohol, merchandise or money from the business. Before disbanding, the Metro Squad released the sketch seen below. Investigators have not released a possible motive.

May 2010 person of interest sketch
Kansas City Metro Squad

Sources tell Operation 100 News that the suspect is believed to have moved out of state following the murder.

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