On a cold February night in 2018, the life of 25-year-old Deonte "Bud" Mitchell, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Wichita, Kansas. On February 24th, police were called to the 1600 block of S. Faulders where they discovered Mitchell lying on the curb in front of a house. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the back and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect, Douglas Pete, who was 24 years old at the
time. A witness who was on the front porch of the house told authorities they heard two gunshots and saw a man in a black hooded sweatshirt, later identified as Pete, pointing a handgun in Mitchell's direction. This eyewitness account proved to be a critical piece of evidence in the case against him.
Following his arrest, Douglas Pete initially claimed that the shooting was an accident. However, he later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and interference with law enforcement on August 9, 2019. During his sentencing in September 2019, Pete offered an apology to Deonte Mitchell's family but provided no motive for the killing. District Judge Christopher Magana sentenced Pete to 187 months in prison for his role in Mitchell's death.
