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# Federal Murder Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-murder-sentences-district-of-kansas/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:10:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:10:11.000Z
- Description: All 14 people sentenced under the Commission's "Murder" offense type in the District of Kansas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term. The median prison term was 306 months (25.5 years), and 3 people received a life sentence. Of the 14, 8 (57%) pleaded guilty, which is lower than the 97
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-kansas/) › Murder: District of Kansas

**In brief:** All 14 people sentenced under the Commission's "Murder" offense type in the District of Kansas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term. The median prison term was 306 months (25.5 years), and 3 people received a life sentence. Of the 14, 8 (57%) pleaded guilty, which is lower than the 97% for all offenses in the district.

Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 14 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Every Sentence Included Prison

The U.S. Sentencing Commission recorded 14 people sentenced in the District of Kansas for murder offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. All 14 (100%) received a prison term, and none received probation only.

The median prison term was 306 months. A quarter received 354 months or more, and a quarter received 183 months or less. A life sentence was given to 3 people.

In all 94 federal districts, 3,754 people were sentenced in this offense type, and more than 99% were sent to prison. The national median prison term was 240 months, so the Kansas median was higher.

## Pleas and Trials Were Closer to Even

A total of 8 of 14 people (57%) pleaded guilty, and 6 were convicted after a trial. Across all offenses in the district, 97% pleaded guilty. For the Murder offense type nationally, the figure was 78%.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 264 months. After a trial it was 306 months, based on 6 people. Both groups are small, so the gap between these medians is not a firm finding.

All 8 people who pleaded guilty had a written plea agreement, and none was a straight plea.

## Which Guidelines Were Used?

Murder is the Commission's category, assigned from the primary guideline in each case. In this district, §2A1.1 (First Degree Murder) was the primary guideline in 7 cases.

Next were §2A1.2 (Second Degree Murder) with 3 cases, §2A1.5 (Conspiracy or Solicitation to Commit Murder) with 3, and §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) with 1.

These cases were less than 1% of the 4,217 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025.

## Mandatory Minimums and the Guideline Range

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 6 of the 14 people (43%).

Within the guideline range: 5 people (36%). Below the range at the government's request: 6 (43%). Below the range without a government request: 3 (21%). Above the range: none (0%).

Nationally, 39% of sentences in this offense type were within the range, and for all offenses in the District of Kansas the figure was 42%.

## Supervised Release and Other Orders

All 14 people (100%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison. The median term was 60 months, and 1 person (7%) received supervised release for life.

No fine was ordered (0%). Restitution was ordered for 3 people (21%).

On criminal history, 36% were in the lowest category, category I, and 36% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Counts by Fiscal Year

There were 12 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 2 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The count was lower in the later period.

The table lists the years in the sheet, and each has 1 to 4 people. A median based on 1 person is simply that person's sentence, so single years show no trend.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 1                | 470 months    | 0 of 1         |
| 2017        | 4                | 336 months    | 4 of 4         |
| 2018        | 4                | 156 months    | 3 of 4         |
| 2019        | 3                | 312 months    | 0 of 3         |
| 2020        | 1                | 144 months    | 1 of 1         |
| 2025        | 1                | 293 months    | 0 of 1         |

## Limits of the Records

People who were acquitted or whose cases were dismissed are not in this data, which covers sentenced people only. Terms shown are the sentences imposed, not time served.

The records do not show the circumstances of any case or why the later period has fewer people. Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, and McConnell AFB are in the district, but their courts-martial are heard in military courts, not in this federal court.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Kansas (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Kansas") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Murder" (14). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.

**Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.

**Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.

**Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-kansas/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-district-of-kansas/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-district-of-kansas/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-district-of-kansas/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Kansas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-district-of-kansas/) (same district, other offense type)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.