KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Johnson County District Court judge ruled Wednesday the affidavit filed in the criminal case against a suspect involved in the deadly police shooting earlier this month of a Fairway officer will remain sealed.
Several media outlets — including KSHB 41 News — requested the affidavit filed in support of the criminal charges against Andrea Cothran, a 32-year-old Tennessee woman charged with several crimes — including first-degree murder — in an Aug. 6 crime spree that ended in the death of Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald at a Mission QuikTrip.
In the ruling, Judge Michael P. Joyce said the Johnson County prosecutor's office presented “good cause” that releasing the affidavit could “jeopardize the physical, mental, or emotional safety or well-being of a victim, witness, confidential source or undercover agent, or cause the destruction of evidence.”
Joyce also said releasing the affidavit “could interfere with any prospective law enforcement action, criminal investigation, or prosecution.”
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Under Kansas law, each party in a criminal case and the judge have a total of 10 days from the date an affidavit request is made to respond. In some cases, the affidavit is released in full. In most cases, the affidavit is released but includes varying degrees of redactions. The judge also has the option to completely seal the affidavit, as Joyce did in this case.
Cothran was initially charged with felony aggravated assault, felony fleeing of a law enforcement officer and felony theft associated with the Aug. 6 crime spree. Ten days after she was initially charged, prosecutors charged Cothran with first-degree murder.
The new charge alleges that Oswald died as a result of Cothran allegedly committing the three felonies of which she was previously charged.
Cothran remains in custody at the Johnson County Adult Detention Center on a $1 million bond. Her next court appearance is set for Sept. 20.
A second suspect in the crime spree, Shannon Wayne Marshall, 40, also of Tennessee, was shot and killed by responding police.
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