Shawnee County District Court officials intend to reschedule the jury trial that was set to begin next month for Francisco A. “Franky” Mendez, who is charged with last year’s first-degree murder of Washburn University football player Dwane Simmons.
The case against Mendez is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. Thursday on a district court criminal assignment docket, according to information posted on the court’s website.
Mendez, 19, faces charges that include first-degree murder in the April 2019 gunshot slaying of Simmons, 23, near 1287 S.W. Lane. He also is charged with attempted murder in that same shooting of Simmons’ best friend, Corey Ballentine, a former Washburn player who had been drafted hours earlier by the NFL’s New York Giants.
Simmons died at the scene. Ballentine survived after being shot once in the buttocks. He played this past season for the Giants.
Shawnee County District Judge Cheryl Rios found Mendez competent to stand trial on May 9 and tentatively scheduled his trial to begin July 13.
In addition to the charges linked to the death of Simmons and the wounding of Ballentine, Mendez is charged with:
• Three counts of attempted murder linked to the same incident regarding shots fired at Washburn football players Channon Ross, Kevin Neal Jr. and James Letcher Jr., who weren’t hit.
• Seven counts of aggravated robbery victimizing other people. The counts were linked to a carjacking committed April 27 at 2130 S.W. Fairlawn Road and an April 30 robbery of cash and cellphones committed near 1300 S.W. Clay.