KS Supreme Court Upholds Topeka Man’s Murder Conviction

The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Topeka man over a fatal road rage shooting more than five years ago.

The court rejected arguments from an attorney for Andre Rhoiney Junior that the prosecutor made improper statements during closing arguments.

A Shawnee County judge sentenced Rhoiney to life plus 13 months in prison, with no chance for parole for 25 years.

The shooting of 28-year-old Michael Stadler occurred in October 2016.

According to trial testimony, Rhoiney fired two shots at a van that Stadler was in.

Authorities arrested Rhoiney a few days later on a bus in West Virginia.

He initially gave them a false identity, and they discovered a pistol hidden near his seat.

Rhoiney’s attorney argued that he should get a new trial because the prosecutor said during closing arguments that Rhoiney’s behavior suggested that he knew “he wants to hide out.”