In a tragic turn of events stemming from a domestic dispute, Trenton Custer, a 39-year-old Caucasian male, was shot and killed in Wichita, Kansas. The incident that led to his death unfolded in a trailer home located in the 3800 block of South Meridian, where Custer lived with his girlfriend and other roommates. A disagreement reportedly arose between Custer and his girlfriend concerning other roommates not contributing to the household bills.
The situation escalated when DeWayne A.
Cope, who had been having an affair with Custer's girlfriend and had moved into the trailer, intervened. During the quarrel, Cope shot Custer twice, with the fatal gunshots striking him in the back and chest. After the shooting, Custer's body was discovered by a neighbor who had to crawl through a window to gain entry to the trailer.
Following the incident, Cope and the girlfriend fled the scene. They spent the subsequent two weeks moving between friends' houses and various hotels, even traveling to Oklahoma in an attempt to evade capture. Law enforcement eventually apprehended Cope. He was initially charged with first-degree premeditated murder. However, the case faced a temporary dismissal in January 2019 when a key witness could not be located to testify at the preliminary hearing.
The murder charge was refiled against Cope in July 2021. Ultimately, he reached a plea agreement and was convicted of one count of voluntary manslaughter. In April 2023, DeWayne A. Cope was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for the shooting death of Trenton Custer.
