Man found guilty of murder in fatal crash that killed Topeka’s mother

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A jury in Shawnee County announces its decision regarding a man accused of killing a woman in a crash in Topeka last year.

The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release that Michael S. Lester, 39, was found guilty of the following counts:

• First degree murder
• Escape or try to escape from a police officer
• Second degree murder
• Leaving the scene of the accident

Katie Garceran, a spokeswoman for the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, says that on October 30, 2023, a Topeka Police Department (TPD) officer attempted to stop a vehicle at Seward and Golden. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Lester, was seen not wearing a seatbelt at a traffic light.

The officer attempted to stop Lester, but he instead fled the area and began driving erratically. Later that day, Shawnee County Emergency Dispatch received a call about an accident at St. John and Tyler. It turned out that Lester was involved in the accident and fled the scene.

Another driver involved in the crash, Alycia A. Noriega, 33, was taken to a local hospital. She was later pronounced dead. Lester was later found and arrested.

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