La Harpe burglary suspects make first court appearance

Two adult suspects in the robbery of a La Harpe business have been held over on bonds of $50,000 each after having their first appearance before an Allen County District Judge Tuesday, Sheriff Thomas R. Williams said.

The 17-year-old juvenile suspect was placed at the Southeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center Inc. in Girard.

Arrested Jan. 9 were Stevie Joe Hall, 41, the male juvenile and Edward LaRoche, 20, all of Fort Scott. They have been charged with arson, burglary, felony theft and conspiracy to commit burglary, Wilson has said.

Property and approximately $30,000 in cash was stolen -- some of it burned or singed -- from Ray's Metal Depot, 320 W. U.S. Highway 54, in La Harpe.

Hall and LaRoche appeared before 31st District Judge Thomas M. Saxton. The juvenile has a right to a hearing on bond, but when that takes place is up to the judge, Wilson said.

Next in the process is a status hearing and then a preliminary hearing, similar to a probable cause hearing, Wilson said. He explained this uses the same status of proof that a grand jury would hear, except it's heard by a judge.

The suspects were taken into custody with the help of the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office and Fort Scott Police Department.

Assistant Allen County Attorney Wade Bowie II said the status hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Allen County Courthouse in Iola. One adult defendant will be represented by a public defender and the other will be represented by John Gillett of Fredonia.

He said Gillett is the "conflict attorney" because both defendants cannot be represented by attorneys from the same office.