Kevin M. Palmer (Sedgwick County (Kan.) Sheriff’s Office) and Wichita Police at the scene where Brianna Ibarra was found dead (YouTube: KSNW screenshot).
A 37-year-old man in Kansas will spend several decades behind bars for killing a 13-year-old girl dragging her for “several miles” behind an SUV he had stolen from a restaurant parking lot over two years ago.
Sedgwick County District Judge Kevin Mark Smith on Wednesday ordered Kevin M. Palmer to serve a sentence of 493 months — just over 41 years — for his role in the horrific and tragic death of young Brianna Ibarra, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
Palmer previously pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree reckless murder for killing Brianna.
According to a press release from the Wichita Police Department, WPD officers on Feb. 6, 2021 responded to an emergency call about a grey Ford Escape traveling westbound on Kellogg Drive that was “dragging a female” on the outside of the car. Police were able to locate the vehicle at the corner of Kellogg Drive and West Street and found the child — later identified as Brianna — “caught on the outside of the vehicle.” She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Authorities quickly learned that Brianna was waiting in the car while her parents were having lunch at the Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant located in the 6700 block of West Kellogg Drive.
“The investigation revealed the female was sitting on the driver’s side rear of the Escape while it was parked outside of a nearby restaurant running,” authorities said. “Her family went into the restaurant to get food as she remained in the vehicle. Palmer got into the driver’s seat and fled in the vehicle. The female attempted to exit the vehicle while it was moving. As she exited, she became caught in the seatbelt on the outside of the vehicle. Palmer continued to flee for several miles.”
Someone nearby saw the ghastly situation unfolding and called 911 while simultaneously following Palmer in the stolen vehicle and relaying information to authorities. Once police were able to get Palmer to pull the vehicle over, he attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended. Unfortunately, Brianna had already died from the injuries she sustained while trying to escape the vehicle.
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Following Brianna’s death, WPD Chief of Police Gordon Ramsay said the incident was “one of the saddest cases I have been associated with in my over 28 years of law enforcement.”
According to a report from Wichita ABC affiliate KAKE, Palmer said that at the time he stole the vehicle, he was homeless and was only looking for a place to warm up after it had recently snowed. He told authorities he did not notice that Brianna was in the vehicle until the moment before he stopped.
“Palmer stated that he did not see anyone in or near the vehicle, so he opened the driver’s door and entered the vehicle with the intent to steal the SUV,” the affidavit reportedly said. “Kevin Palmer stated that the driver’s door was unlocked…that he threw his backpack in the front passenger seat, then looked into the backseat of the vehicle and did not see anyone in the vehicle.”
Per court documents, when police were taking him into custody, officers heard him say, “Oh my God. God help me. Is she dead? People are saying she was hurt.” He also reportedly stated that he would not have attempted to steal the vehicle if he had known there was anyone inside of it.
He reiterated that sentiment during his sentencing hearing, Wichita NBC affiliate KSNW reported.
“There’s no words that I can say that will express how sorry I am that this happened and how much I regret what happened,” he reportedly said during the hearing. “Every single day, every single night, I can’t sleep, and I’m just in torment because of what happened and what I caused, and I didn’t know, I didn’t know that she was in the car, and I didn’t know that she was stuck in the seat belt, but at the same time, it was my stupidity that is the reason why this happened.”
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