Lawrence men sentenced for 2021 deadly shooting near KU campus

11 April 2024

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Two men are sentenced for a 2021 shooting in Lawrence that left a 21-year-old Wichita man dead.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announced Wednesday that 20-year-old Javier Romero was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months and 22-year-old Andrel Spates Jr. was sentenced to 17 years and 2 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections.


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Both men were convicted in January for the shooting on Sept. 8, 2021, at an apartment in the 1500 block of Kentucky Street, just blocks away from the University of Kansas campus.

The victim, Christian Willis, was found dead at the scene.

Spates pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and Romero pleaded second-degree murder.

Both men were also sentenced to 3 years post-release supervision and both men must register as violent offenders for 15 years.

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