A Kansas newspaper reports charges were dismissed this week against two men that authorities had alleged were conspiring to kill people in Carbondale.
The Salina Journal reports the prosecutor dismissed charges against 25-year-old Xavier Lewis and 22-year-old Xavier McCray. But, the charges were dismissed in a way that would allow them to be refiled.
The notification came on the morning of what was expected to be a third afternoon of testimony in a preliminary hearing on a charge that the men had conspired with 22-year-old Alex Karcher to commit capital murder.
The charge previously had been dismissed against Karcher, who has been indicted in Jackson County, for allegedly being involved in a drug ring with possible ties to the July 31 shooting of Carbondale police officer Trey Harris.
According to the letter from the prosecutor, the charges against Lewis and McCray were dropped because of a lack of cooperation from Illinois authorities. There was no elaboration on what type of cooperation was lacking.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police presented the FOP Valor Award to Carbondale Officers Trey Harris and Corey Brinkley - for their actions when Harris was shot last year.
Brinkley and Harris were in pursuit of a suspect car last July 31 when one of the people in the fleeing car shot Harris. The FOP says Brinkley, who was driving, immediately stopped the chase and took his partner to the hospital - meanwhile Harris was able to keep a level head and radio back that he'd been shot and was headed to the hospital.
Both officers received the Valor Award for those actions, as well for providing information that led to the arrest of suspects in Kansas.
