Kenneth Waddell’s latest appeal on child sex convictions has been denied.
Waddell had appealed his Lyon County convictions from 2008 on charges of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated indecent liberties, aggravated indecent solicitation and criminal threat. The appeal focused on ineffective counsel regarding various evidence and testimony provided, both at the 2008 trial and an appellate evidence hearing in 2016. The Kansas Court of Appeals says Waddell’s argument failed to show his counsel’s decision not to object to certain expert testimony was insufficient, and it said Waddell failed to meet his burden demonstrating the overall defense counsel effort was ineffective.
Waddell was originally convicted in Lyon County of rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated indecent liberties and aggravated indecent solicitation against a then-seven-year-old girl in Americus in 2003. Waddell successfully appealed but was convicted in 2008 after a change of venue to Sedgwick County, Waddell, who is now 74 years old and was 62 at the time of his conviction in 2008, was sentenced to 27.5 years in prison.
