By Hutchinson Tribune Staff
HUTCHINSON—A man who survived a house fire in February pleaded guilty to seven charges, including two counts of murder, the Reno County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Hutchinson Police Department responded Feb. 1 to a report of screaming in the area of 1014 E. Third Ave., and at the scene, they found a young girl in the front yard and smoke coming from the roof.
After Hutchinson Fire Department extinguished the house fire, investigators found three people in the house, with two of them—a 4-year-old girl and a woman identified as Kalsey Payton—deceased. Autopsies determined the child died from blunt-force trauma, and Kalsey Payton died from sharp-force trauma. Both deaths were determined to be homicides, the release said.
The third person in the house, 37-year-old Wendell Payton, exhibited signs of self-inflicted wounds, but he recovered. After the investigation, the Reno County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple charges against Payton.
On Friday, Payton pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional, premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated endangering of a child, two counts of interference with law enforcement officers, and domestic battery, the release said. District Court Judge Daniel Gilligan accepted the pleas and found Payton guilty. Sentencing was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 15.
“The Reno County District Attorney’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims in this case and thanks the agencies involved in ensuring justice was done for the victims,” Reno County District Attorney Thomas R. Stanton said in the release.
Hutchinson Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from Hutchinson Fire Department, Reno County Emergency Medical Services, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshall, and Sedgwick County Fire Department, the release said.