HUTCHINSON, Kan.— A Hutchinson man who is serving a life sentence for the 1978 murder of his wife will have an appeal come before the Kansas Supreme Court next week.
Phillip Parks filed the motion in 2019 and the matter is up on the summary calendar for next week. No oral arguments will be heard in the case.
Parks was convicted of killing Rachel Parks in 1997 after pleading no contest. The discovery of Parks crime in Hutchinson came 19 years after it happened when he was convicted of the attempted murder of his new wife in New Mexico. At that time Parks told his wife he would have to kill her just like he killed Rachel.
Parks had a long fight through the appeals court system to withdraw his plea deal which was denied by the state and Supreme Court.
In the current motion that will go before the Kansas Supreme Court next week, Parks argues that his conviction for an unclassified felony before 1993 should be scored as a non person felony. The district court disagreed and summarily denied his motion.
Parks then took his motion to the Kansas Supreme Court.