Kansas prosecutor drops charges in 2 high-profile cases

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A prosecutor in a Kansas college town has dropped charges against two Black men whose murder and rape cases became a rallying cry for racial injustice protesters and celebrities. District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announced Wednesday that she had moved to formally dismiss the first-degree murder case against Rontarus Washington Jr. and the rape case against Albert Wilson. Valdez said in a statement that the case had languished in the courts long enough to raise questions about the integrity of the criminal justice system itself. The case has faced a series of delays and one mistrial resulting from a hung jury.