Kansas Supreme Court upholds conviction in triple killing

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld a man’s conviction in the shooting deaths of three people in Lawrence in 2017. Anthony Roberts Jr. was convicted in 2019.

The shooting started after two groups from Topeka got into a fistfight in downtown Lawrence and ended with up to 20 shots being fired.

Roberts was convicted of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder.

The Supreme Court ruled Friday rejected Roberts’ argument that the Douglas County District Court judge should have instructed jurors that they could consider a voluntary manslaughter conviction. The court also ruled the evidence was sufficient to uphold Roberts’ convictions