In the quiet town of Garden City, Kansas, a tragic event unfolded on the evening of April 19, 2015, forever altering the lives of many. Karlton Waechter, a 21-year-old male, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the 4100 block of East Highway 50. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries, with a gunshot wound to the head later determined to be the fatal one.
The investigation into Waechter's death quickly revealed a story of a robbery that had taken a violent and deadly turn. It was determined that Waechter was with acquaintances when the incident occurred. The motive, according to police, was an attempted robbery. This led to a swift and intensive investigation by the Garden City Police Department, which soon resulted in the identification and apprehension of multiple suspects.
The first to be taken into custody was 32-year-old Michael George, who was arrested after a foot chase. The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was also recovered. George was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, possession of marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A Finney County jury later found him guilty of first-degree murder.
The investigation continued to unfold, leading to more arrests. Jeff Rigdon, 33, was apprehended at a hotel. He attempted to flee from law enforcement but was ultimately captured and faced charges of felony first-degree murder, attempted felony first-degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, felony interference with law enforcement, and auto burglary.
A third suspect, 28-year-old Cesar Fierro-Acevedo, was arrested by the Garden City/Finney County SWAT team at a residence on Summit Street. He was booked on charges of felony first-degree murder, attempted felony first-degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. Fierro-Acevedo later entered a no-contest plea to a charge of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. During the investigation, an 18-year-old, Maricella DeLeon, was also arrested in the hotel room Rigdon had fled from, on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
