WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita woman who pleaded guilty to murder cannot withdraw the plea. That’s the decision from a district court judge this week.
Charity Blackmon, 32, was initially charged on suspicion of first-degree murder in a hit-and-run and a shooting that killed bicyclist Merrill Rabus, 54, in east Wichita back in March of 2021.
She pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree intentional murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon on Friday, March 18, 2022.
However, the next month, Blackmon made a motion to withdraw her plea. In the handwritten request, she said, “I, Charity Blackmon, come now to request to withdraw my plea. I feel like I was pressured to take it, and I didn’t have enough time to make my decision. Also, I have new evidence that I would like to present.”
After Blackmon made the motion, her public defender requested to be removed from the case. The judge granted the lawyer’s request.
Now that the judge has denied Blackmon’s motion to withdraw her plea, her sentencing is scheduled for September.