Weikal charged with first-degree murder Fri.

Spencer Weikal, 23, of Wellington was formally charged with first degree murder at the Sumner County Courthouse in Wellington Friday morning.

Weikal has been charged with one count of murder in the first degree, one count of abuse of a child, and one count of aggravated endangering of a child.

Judge William Mott set bond at $250,000 during a first court appearance at 10 a.m. this morning.

Weikal is accused of abuse Tuesday evening that resulted in the death of a 2-year-old girl in Wellington. He is said to have been watching the child while the child’s mother, who has been described as Weikal’s girlfriend, was at work.

In the criminal complaint, the young girl is referred to only as L.F. – though NewsCow has confirmed her name is Larrissa Foster.

Weikal was escorted into the courtroom in handcuffs and was separated from other inmates who were making appearances throughout the day. Mott read him the charges filed against him, informed him of his right to an attorney and set bond.

If Weikal is to make bond he must make another court appearance on Dec. 8 and he is to stay away from anyone under the age of 16. Otherwise he will remain incarcerated.

In a written statement, Sumner County Attorney Evan Watson said a criminal complaint was filed on Dec. 1, 2011 against Weikal and filed in District Court.

“The criminal charges against Weikal are only allegations,” Watson said. “Mr. Weikal is innocent of all of the charges unless and until any of the charges can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial in open court.”
Watson continues:

“It happens often that the evidence in a case evolves over time and that criminal charges are amended or dismissed as changes in the evidence dictates.”

The bond was originally set at $200,000, but this was before the two-year-old died at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita around noon Thursday afternoon.

Weikal was brought into custody by the Wellington Police Department on Wednesday at 1 a.m. after the alleged abuse incident took place on Tuesday evening after 9 p.m. according to WPD Chief Tracy Heath.

Foster was rushed to Sumner Regional Medical Center emergency room where she was treated and then sent to Wesley for severe head trauma.
Upon her arrival, the medical staff alerted the Wichita Police Department who in turn alerted the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department because the alleged crime was initially said to have occurred in Belle Plaine.

WPD executed a search warrant at a Wellington home Wednesday looking for evidence.

In the official court complaint, Watson said Weikal knowingly, willfully, voluntarily and unlawfully…

•killed a human being due to abuse of a child in murder in the first degree;

•cruelly beat a child two years of age thus being charged with abuse of a child severity level 5 person felony;

•recklessly caused the child to be placed in a situation in which the child’s life, body or health was endangered, while voluntarily acting as an authorized caretaker and consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that furthered harmed the girl because of the risk. Also, there was the absence of immediate access to medical assistance and failure to secure such assistance without unnecessary delay resulting in the aggravated endangering a child charge.

The list of witnesses in the complaint include: Kurt Vogel, Wellington P.D.; John DeFore, Wellington P.D; Brandon Murray, Wellington P.D; Frances Stevenson, Sumner County Sheriff; Jeff Hawkins, Sumner County Sheriff; Keith Bristoher, Sumner County Sheriff; Katherine Melhorn, Wesley Medical Center; and Custodian of Records, Wesley Medical Center.

Editor’s note: Shane Farley contributed to this news report.