Winfield police arrest 26-year-old Joshua Stasa in last week’s shooting
By Shane Farley, Newscow.net —  Winfield police have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting Monday of 32-year-old David E. Towles. The arrest was announced at a press conference Saturday morning.
On Friday evening, 26-year-old Joshua Stasa, of Winfield, was arrested and booked into the Cowley County Jail. He is facing charges of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, and transporting contraband into the jail.
40-year-old Richard Webster, of Winfield, was critically injured in the shooting and continues to be hospitalized in Wichita.
On Monday, around 9 p.m., Stasa is accused of entering a residence at 610 E. Third and shooting the two men with a shotgun. Towles was dead at the scene and Stasa is said to have fled on foot.
Towles suffered a head wound and Webster was struck in the throat.
Stasa’s arrest, police said, came as a result of developing and eliminating potential suspects through interviews and the collection of physical evidence. Police Chief Danny Parker said an arrest earlier this week – of a man wanted on warrants through the Kansas Dept. of Corrections – was key in developing Stasa as a suspect and establishing probable cause to make an arrest.
The case continues to be investigated and those with information are asked to call police at 221-5555.
Chief Parker gave a special thanks to Winfield Police Lt. Cory Nation and KBI Special Agent Dave Falletti for their work in the case. Multiple agencies worked on the case, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, Cowley County Sheriff’s office, Ark City police, Dept. of Corrections, Cowley County Trackers and the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force.
