Lawrence Journal-World 12-13-13

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METH INDICTMENTS

LJWorld.com

Judge declares mistrial in 2012 death ———

Jury unable to reach verdict in manslaughter case involving fight at house party Olivas-Yanez By Stephen Montemayor smontemayor@ljworld.com

EZEQUIEL OLIVAS-YANEZ, top right, is suspected of using this home at 2174 N. 700 Road in rural Eudora for production of methamphetamine in connection with a drug bust in August that yielded nearly 25 pounds of methamphetamine, cash and firearms, pictured below. Niic Nic N ick ck KKrug ruug rrug ug/Jo /JJo Journ uurrrnnaalll-W Wor Wo or o ld ld Ph Phooto Pho to

18 charged in record drug bust that police have linked to Mexican cartel

Douglas County District Court Judge Peggy Kittel declared a mistrial Thursday in the case against a 22-year-old Mission man accused of causing the 2012 death of a 27-year-old Lawrence man. After deliberating for much of the second week of the trial, a jury could not reach a unanimous decision in assessing whether Justin P. Gonzalez was guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Feb. 25, 2012, death of Nicholas J. Sardina. Gonzalez was accused of causing Sardi- Sardina na’s death after allegedly striking him in the head with a beer bottle at a house party in the 1400 block of Kentucky Street. In December, Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. A jury trial in the case began last week and continued into this week with up to two dozen in attendance to support Please see MISTRIAL, page 2A

Some also face other charges. The indictments follow the early August seizure by the Douglas County Drug Enforcement Unit of Eighteen people, thought by law enforcement of- nearly 25 pounds of methamphetamine from a house ficials to be connected with a Mexican drug cartel, at 2174 N. 700 Road in rural Euhave been indicted by a grand jury on suspicion dora. The indictment alleges that of involvement in a methamphetamine conbeginning on about May 1, Ezespiracy that involved using a rural Douglas quiel Olivas-Yanez, MonCounty home as a manuica Ortiz-Soto and Benito facturing hub. Olivas-Yanez began using The U.S. Attorney’s SEE WHO WAS Please see DRUGS, page 2A Office for the District INDICTED, of Kansas has Page 2A. unsealed an indictment dated Dec. 4. Each of the 18 is charged with multiple counts of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from July 2011 to Dec. 3 of this year.

By Stephen Montemayor

smontemayor@ljworld.com

Journal-World File Photo

Governor mum on school finance deficiency; senator expects budget request By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

TOPEKA — Gov. Sam Brownback on Thursday declined to say whether he would make a supplemental budget request to fill a nearly $38 million shortfall in public school funding. “We’ll be announcing budgets in a timely fashion,� Brownback said. The 2014 Brownback legislative session starts in January. But Brownback did say that school funding, Medicaid and pensions will be parts of his proposed budget that will “stick out as the growth area.� Please see SCHOOL, page 2A

Wintry mix

INSIDE Business Classified Comics Events

High: 39

2A 7B-12B 11A 4A, 12A, 2B

Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles

11B Sports 4A Television 10A 11B

Low: 21

Today’s forecast, page 12A

1B-6B 12A, 2B

$1 million gift for KU

Vol.155/No.347 32 pages

A donation from The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation will help fix up Swarthout Recital Hall on Lawrence campus. Page 3A

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