The preliminary hearing for six men accused of being involved in the beating and stabbing of a Hutchinson man back in February started Thursday in Reno County District Court, but is now in recess till June 5, at 1 p-m.
With the number of witnesses the state wanted to call and cross examination by six defense attorney’s, it not surprising they didn’t finish in one day.
Five of the suspects arrested in association with the beating and stabbing of Jeffrey Payne are charged with attempted murder as well as other serious felonies. The five include Jordon LeShore, Sean Arevalo, Desmond Cantu, Troy Bell and Joseph LeShore.
A sixth suspect, John Robert Cantu is charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and aggravated battery and believed to be the one who was driving the vehicle with three of the defendant’s over to Payne’s home, but it doesn’t appear he went inside.
The attack on Payne occurred back on February 18, when these men allegedly broke into Payne’s home and physically attacked and stabbed him numerous times in the leg and torso.
The motive for the attack appears to be an incident involving the LeShore brothers mother.
Bryan Kienow testified Thursday that Jordon LeShore and Sean Arevalo were at his home when the call came from LeShore’s mother saying she had been attacked and slapped so hard it knocked her to the ground. He testified that when he saw her, she had marks on her face from being slapped and also saying there was a window shattered.
That led to the attack on Payne at his home at 6th & Cleveland. He says he drove one car with Arevalo and Jordon Leshore, while Joseph Leshore, Desmond Cantu, Troy Bell and John Robert Cantu were in the other. He says he didn’t go in, nor did Arevalo.
The victim was also on the stand Thursday and told of seeing the men breaking through two doors at the back of the home, one to an enclosed porch, then the second to the house itself. He told the court that he then ran to living room and to the couch where he then was attacked. He says he remembers being stabbed, then nothing else until he woke up at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
Payne told the court that they had to remove a kidney because of his wounds that included his left side and also on his legs. He says they did skin graphs for his wounds. He actually lifted his shirt and showed Judge Joe McCarville his scars from the attack. Payne says he was at Wesley Medical Center for a month and half and still walks with a cane saying there was damage to the tendons in his leg.
He says he remembers seeing four people in the home, that being Joseph Leshore, Troy Bell, Jordon Leshore, and Desmond Cantu, but didn’t see who actually stabbing him.
Also on the stand Thursday was Michelle Myer who Payne was living with along with her four kids. The kids ranged in age from 7-13 years. They were asleep in the home when all this occurred.
She told of Joseph Leshore having a knife and Desmond Cantu with the lid to their bar-b-q. She says she grabbed her cell phone and went outside. She also alleges that at some point Joe Leshore tried to stab her in the leg. She says when she came back inside, there was pile of bodies and that Payne was on the bottom of that pile. She says Jordon Leshore arrived later and on cross examination said he may have been trying to get his brother out of the home. But, when interviewed by a KBI agent involved with the investigation, Jordon Leshore eventually admitted that he had struck Payne as well.
Alicia Dawson who was in the home when all this occurred told of having a gun to her head, allegedly by Desmond Cantu. That includes a charge of aggravated assault against him.
The hearing is again continued to June 5 and no doubt, there will have tight security again. The Reno County Sheriff’s Office had officers both inside and outside the courtroom Thursday and everyone had to go through metal detectors to enter third floor courtroom.