Wichita woman pleads guilty to running over, shooting man

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – A 32-year-old Wichita woman will be sentenced May 9 after she pleaded guilty to running over a bicyclist with her car and shooting him.

The Sedgwick County district attorney’s office said Charity Blackmon pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Blackmon was originally charged with first-degree murder and her trial was scheduled to begin Monday.

Media reports say 54-year-old Merrill Rabus was riding his bike in northeast Wichita in March 2021 when Blackmon hit him and then got out of her van and shot him.

She left the scene but was followed by witnesses and was arrested.