On the evening of May 4, 2015, a violent encounter in Winfield, Kansas, claimed the life of 32-year-old David E. Towles, a Black / African American male. The incident unfolded at a residence located at 610 E. Third Street around 9 p.m. that Monday. Towles was fatally shot, suffering a wound to the head, and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second man, 40-year-old Richard Webster, was also critically injured in the attack, sustaining a gunshot wound to the throat.
Initial reports from witnesses indicated that an individual entered the home, opened fire, and then fled the scene on foot. The Winfield Police Department, believing the shooting was not a random act, launched an extensive investigation into the double shooting. In the days following the incident, the city of Winfield offered a $2,500 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
The investigation, which involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Cowley County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, quickly began to focus on a person of interest. Key information leading to a breakthrough in the case came after the arrest of another individual on unrelated warrants. This development helped investigators establish probable cause and identify their primary suspect.
On the evening of May 8, 2015, authorities arrested 26-year-old Joshua Stasa of Winfield in connection with the shootings. Stasa was subsequently booked into the Cowley County Jail and faced charges of first-degree murder for the death of David Towles, attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Richard Webster, and transporting contraband into the jail. The arrest was the result of numerous interviews and the collection of physical evidence by the dedicated team of investigators.
