Mays plea hearing rescheduled

A plea hearing for the final defendant in a 2017 North Topeka murder was rescheduled Friday for Oct. 24.

The decision to push back the plea hearing for Shane Mays, 20, comes after Brian Flowers, who pleaded guilty April 16, appeared in court Aug. 15 and asked to withdraw his guilty pleas.

Dan Dunbar, chief deputy district attorney, requested to reschedule the plea hearing until after the outcome of Flowers' motion is finalized.

According to Shawnee County court records, Flowers' motion hearing is set for 2 p.m. Sept. 19.

Flowers pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Matthew Leavitt and Nicole Fisher.

Mays, who has been charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, has negotiated a plea deal in exchange for his testimony against Kora Liles, who was sentenced May 10 to three consecutive life terms.

Mays' plea deal is expected to come with a shorter sentence and would be modified to attempted second-degree murder for his role in Fisher's death and aggravated battery for punching Leavitt.

Leavitt and Fisher were found dead March 12, 2017, in a home at 115 N.W. Grant St. Luke Davis was also killed.

Mays testified against Joseph P. Lowry on March 21 and said Lowry told Leavitt the night of the murders that he was "going to die there tonight."

Mays arrived at the house with Leavitt late in the evening on March 11, 2017 to pick up Fisher.

After being forced into the house by Lowry and Flowers, Mays was told to place a trash bag over Fisher's head, but released the bag once Fisher started to struggle and slump in her seat.

Mays said he was then told to place a bag over Leavitt's head, but didn't tighten it.

After Mays was allowed to leave the house, he went to the police and was later arrested.

Lowry was sentenced July 5 to 138 years in prison for first-degree murder of Fisher, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated robbery and one county of aggravated assault. All sentences must be served consecutively.

Joseph Kran previously pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and received three consecutive Hard 50 sentences.