Charles Christopher Logsdon and Billy Craig, Jr.
District Attorney Keith Schroeder talks to the media.
District Attorney Keith Schroeder announced Thursday that formal criminal charges of first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm have been filed against two Hutchinson men. They are 48-year-old Billy Joe Craig, Jr. and 32-year-old Charles Christopher Logsdon.
It’s alleged they are responsible for the death of 27-year-old Jennifer Heckel on the evening of June 14, 2011. She was found shot to death in her home at 501 Coronado in a northwest residential neighborhood of Hutchinson. It appears she was a victim of mistaken identity.
The bonds for Craig and Logsdon have been set at $500,000. A first appearance on the charges has been scheduled for Monday, September 26 at 3:00 p-m, in front of Judge Joe McCarville.
While most murders are committed by someone associated with the victim, this particular investigation was initially complicated and frustrated by the lack of such connections.
Schroeder also announced Thursday afternoon that he was dropping the conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery against Matthew Barnes. He also told us that they were also looking into dropping the charges against Jason Casanova, but at this point, would take Kylie Hartman to trial. As we told you in earlier stories, Judge McCarville has set a preliminary hearing date in these case for October 25-27.
You may also recall the stories we did earlier in the summer when we began to piece together the people charged in other cases and how these individuals were interconnected with each other.
In one case, Billy Craig Jr., is alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to commit crimes associated with a computer. The state is alleging that he along with Hartman and possibly others made or attempted to make checks using a false identification and purchase a computer in furtherance of the conspiracy. Charles Christopher Logsdon was also named on that criminal complaint as possibly being involved, but was never charged.
Charges against Craig and Hartman include conspiracy computer crime, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud.
Craig also has a drug case pending where he was allegedly involved with the possible sale of illegal narcotics. According to the Reno County Jail log, charges include possession of drugs such as cocaine or meth, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture, grow, or distribute a controlled substance, and personal use drug paraphernalia, theft of possession of stolen property, and possession of drug with intent to distribute within a thousand feet of a school. He was booked into the county jail on those charges back on July 3, 2011.
Hartman along with 26-year-old Austin Elwell are charged in federal court with three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition by users of controlled substances. In addition, Hartman is charged with three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition after a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 18th.
Then came word of the three people charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery which again included Kylie Hartman along with Barnes and Casanova.
These charges brought speculation by people all across the area as well as the media that the conspiracy to commit robbery charges were connected to the murder, but Schroeder again would not confirm or deny that the case are connected.
Craig and Logsdon have been charged under alternative theories of Murder in the First Degree. It is alleged that under the Legal Doctrine of Transferred Intent they premeditated the killing of another person and actually killed the wrong person. Alternatively, it is alleged that they went to 501 Coronado with the intent to commit an Aggravated Burglary and/or Attempted Aggravated Robbery and the death of Jennifer Heckel occurred during the commission of either of those inherently dangerous felonies.
At the same time the formal charges were filed against Billy Joe Craig, Jr. and Charles Christopher Logsdon, the Reno County District Attorney’s Office also filed notices of aggravating circumstances and requests to impose life sentences without the possibility of parole for 50 years if either is convicted. The aggravating factors relied upon in the notice of intent to seek “Hard 50″ sentences were; 1) The murder of Jennifer Heckel was committed in an especially heinous, atrocious or cruel manner; 2) Another person was authorized or employed to commit the crime; 3) The murder of Jennifer Heckel was committed for the contemplated purpose of receiving money or any other thing of monetary value.
Schroeder says the investigation of Jennifer Heckel’s murder has been the highest priority of the Hutchinson Police Department with the assistance of many other law enforcement agencies. Investigators have traveled to several other States pursuing leads. They have expended numerous man hours following up on every theory and tip. The other agencies involved in assisting Hutch Police include the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Reno County Sheriff’s Office, Reno County Drug Task Force, South Hutchinson Police Department, Wichita Police Department, Pratt Police Department, Hastings, Nebraska Police Department, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshall’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wichita.
The investigation still continues says Schroeder and may do so right up until any trials begin.
Anyone having information about the case is encouraged to contact the Hutchinson Police Department at 620-694-2833, Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 620-694-2666, or the KBI Hotline at 1-800-222-TIPS.
