Prisoner to serve 106 more years for double murder as Kansas Supreme Court denies appeal

Richard Showalter, who is serving prison terms set to last 106 more years for a 2018 Topeka double murder, has lost his appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court.

The high court announced Friday it had rejected all four arguments Showalter made regarding why it should overturn his convictions for crimes that include two counts of first-degree murder in the 2018 southeast Topeka killings of Lisa Sportsman, 28, and her cousin, 17-year-old Jesse Polinskey.

Both died of blunt trauma injuries and stab wounds suffered during a home invasion, the high court's decision said.

Showalter received a sentence that calls for him to not be eligible for release until 2130, when he will have served at least 112 years, three months.

Also convicted of crimes linked to the case were Bradley Sportsman and Matthew Hutto. Bradley Sportsman and Lisa Sportsman were married but separated at the time.

Bradley Sportsman, 46, is an inmate at Ellsworth Correctional Facility. He could be released at the earliest in 2057, the corrections department website said.

Hutto, 24 and an inmate at Hutchinson Correctional Facility, could be released at the earliest in 2068, it said.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.