Tag: Kansas

Jury convicts Leawood man who posed as a medical examiner of six criminal charges

by Dan Margolies, Kansas News Service and KCUR

Shawn Parcells achieved cable news notoriety in 2014 by posing as an expert in the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

A Leawood resident who had no medical degree but promoted himself as a medical examiner has been convicted of six criminal charges related to autopsies he illegally performed.

Following a three-day trial, a Wabaunsee County jury found Shawn Parcells, 42, guilty of three counts of felony theft and three misdemeanor counts of criminal desecration. Sentencing has been set for Jan. 10.

A pending civil suit filed by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt alleges that Parcells duped at least 82 consumers into shelling out money for autopsies he did not complete in accordance with Kansas law.

Parcells achieved cable news notoriety in 2014 by posing as an expert in the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Although he held himself out as a forensic pathology expert in multiple cable news appearances following Brown’s death, a CNN investigation in 2013 revealed that he did not have a medical degree and that he had exaggerated other credentials.

The jury in the criminal case found that Parcells had unlawfully obtained money from Wabaunsee County to perform autopsies in three cases, according to a news release from Schmidt’s office. The release said that Parcells also performed autopsies in three cases in 2014 and 2015 without a pathologist performing them, in violation of Kansas law.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has taken control of and catalogued more than 1,600 blood samples and slides collected by Parcells. The samples are being released to family members upon verified request.

Parcells has a life sciences degree from Kansas State University but never earned a medical degree. He offered autopsy services under a variety of business names, including National Autopsy Services in Topeka.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-05/jury-convicts-leawood-man-who-posed-as-a-medical-examiner-of-six-criminal-charges.

Kansas public universities caught in federal, state crossfire on COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Biden’s order compels inoculation of contractors; Kansas law may tie up funding

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — The president of the Kansas Board of Regents offered recommendations Friday to state universities receiving federal funding that must comply with a U.S. government mandate on COVID-19 vaccination of government contractors, including grant recipients, and adhere to a Kansas law withholding state funding from universities imposing inoculation directives.

Blake Flanders, who serves as president of the board responsible for public universities, community colleges and technical colleges, said each institution should consider implementing a process to comply with federal directives covering COVID-19 vaccines for contractor employees. In addition, the federal order would require masking and physical distancing in contractor workplaces, including visitors and students, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

President Joe Biden issued the executive order in September requiring all covered employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. He adopted a limited exemption if an employee was legally entitled to an accommodation. For existing contracts, covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated no later than Dec. 8.

The issue comes to a head in Kansas because the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Wichita State University receive millions of dollars annually in federal financial support for researcher under contract. The universities face deadlines for signing contracts and agreements tied to federal aid.

The state Board of Regents, which is appointed by the governor, hasn’t established a formal policy. The board isn’t scheduled to meet again until November.

“These were guidelines from me to the universities,” Flanders said in an interview. “The universities are seeking ways they can still meet the requirements of state law and continue with these federal contracts.”

The six state universities in Kansas have hundreds of contracts with federal agencies, such as NASA, the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Energy, Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. There are subcontracts with large private companies that act as federal contractors. These contracts and subcontracts provide hundreds of millions of dollars to Kansas higher education and to the state of Kansas.

The Biden mandate must be incorporated into contracts awarded prior to Oct. 15 whenever that contract option or extension occurred. Through Nov. 14, federal agencies were to voluntarily include the COVID-19 clause into new contracts. Contracts set after Nov. 14 must feature the vaccination and other pandemic-related directives.

Flanders said the state universities in Kansas should draw from money outside the state budget to comply with the federal directive. That’s because Senate Bill 159, approved by the Kansas Legislature, prohibits state agencies from using money appropriated by the state to “require an individual to use a COVID-19 vaccination passport within this state for any purpose.”

Doug Girod, chancellor at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, said that KU would direct all KU employees to submit proof of a full vaccination for COVID-19 by Dec. 8.

“Because of the scope of the federal order, this mandate applies to all KU employees – including student employees – on all campuses and in all KU affiliates and auxiliaries, unless an employee applies for and receives a religious or medical exemption,” Girod said. “Employees who do not comply with the vaccine requirement are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment.”

He said federal contracts that funded research, employment and educational efforts were at risk if KU didn’t align with Biden’s executive order. He recommended unvaccinated employees seek their first vaccine dose immediately, because the process could take up to six weeks.

“For this reason,” the chancellor said, “we cannot be flexible with employees who choose not to comply with the vaccine requirement.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/22/kansas-public-universities-caught-in-federal-state-crossfire-on-covid-19-vaccine-mandate/.

District attorney calls for public defender

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Opinion

by Murrel Bland

Wyandotte County needs a public defender.

That was the message that District Attorney Mark Dupree delivered to members of the Congressional Forum Friday, Oct. 15, at Children’s Mercy Park. The Forum is a division of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber Commerce.

Dupree said three other more populous Kansas counties—Johnson, Shawnee and Douglas– have public defenders. He said it is important to have such an office because there can be a delay—sometimes up to two months–before a Wyandotte County defendant is assigned legal counsel by a district judge. That can be expensive as it costs $95 a day to keep a prisoner in jail.

In addition, Dupree said not having legal representative quickly could lead to wrongful prosecution; this could lead to compensation from taxpayer funds.

Dupree, who has been District Attorney since early 2017, said his office is focused on a four-point plan for making Wyandotte County safer:

  • Smart prosecution
  • Community prosecution unit
  • Fiscal responsibility
  • Youth investment

Dupree heads a staff of more than 60 persons. He said his office is in the process of digitizing files in his office going back some 70 years.

Dupree received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. His law degree is from Washburn University, Topeka. He and his wife Shanelle are the parents of two sons and two daughters. Shanelle, who is also a lawyer, is the regional director of the Kansas Department of Children and Families.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.