HUTCHINSON, Kan. – After the Kansas Supreme Court denied the Writ of Mandamus requested by District Attorney Keith Schroeder against Judge Trish Rose surrounding the issues in the Samuel Vonachen case, there still hasn’t been a new mental evaluation completed.
The state had requested that the 17-year-old be moved to adult jail after being convicted of two counts of murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson as an adult and also asking the court to block another mental evaluation be conducted, instead of going ahead and sentencing him for the conviction.
Judge Trish Rose denied the states request. The Supreme Court then denied the writ of Mandamus to block Judge Rose asked for by the state.
We have learned that the plan now is to wait until he turns 18, then have him taken to the adult side of the Larned State Hospital where they will then conduct the evaluation. Under Kansas law, he has to be moved out of the juvenile facility in Hutchinson when he turns 18, which is March 17.
A Reno County jury convicted the teen of the two counts of murder for the killing of his mother and sister who died after he set fire to the family home on Sept. 26, 2013. His father was able to escape. But, he was also convicted for attempted first-degree murder for trying to kill his father and aggravated arson for the actual setting of the fire.