(From Parsons Police Department)On July 19, 2024, at approximately 1:49 pm, Parsons Police were notified about a possible domestic assault and were dispatched to the 2900 blk of Clark.
Arriving Officers contacted the victim, a 42-year-old female who shared a horrific description of her assaults that transpired over a period of days.
Officers arrested 36-year-old Justin Wayne Schwark, a Parsons resident at the scene. He was taken into custody without incident by multiple officers.
It was reported that the victim had been repeatedly punched and strangled to the point of not being able to breath. The assailant reportedly told the victim that he was going ‘to slaughter the family.’ At the time of the assaults, no one else was home at the residence. There was physical evidence of on-going violent conduct inside the residence with damaged walls and doors. The interview of the victim identified ongoing terroristic assaults and kidnapping (he allegedly held the victim against her will). There were several instances of reported sexual assault that also occurred over a period of days.
Schwark was taken to the Parsons Police Department for processing. The suspect was arrested for Aggravated Domestic Battery (a felony), Aggravated Kidnapping (a felony) and Criminal Threat (causing terror). Prior to being transferred to the Labette County Jail on Saturday, July 20th, Schwark was given a bail amount of $15,000 by the on-call Judge for the 11th Judicial District, Judge Douglas R. Steele of Cherokee County. Schwark posted bail before he could be booked into the county jail.
The victim is receiving protective assistance.
Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said, “This violent and on-going series of felony crimes against another human being is one of the vilest I have seen. The multiple days of torture, assaults, and beatings were horrific to say the least. The victim is in fear, she has been threatened repeatedly by Schwark that he would kill her and ‘slaughter’ the family. While the victim has received a protective order from the court, in this case that simply is not enough to ensure her safety or the safety of other family members.
“Judges have a duty to take into account public safety and the safety of crime victims, when setting bail,” said Spinks. I am hoping that Labette County District Court Judges review this bail and the violent nature of these crimes and assess a much more realistic bail that is appropriate the level of violence in these three felony charges.”
“As unfortunate and horrific as this incident is for the victim, we are lucky that it did not turn deadly. Domestic situations are volatile and unpredictable at best. We can only hope that the judicial system does their part and holds Schwark accountable for his violent actions,” according to Detective Lieutenant Sherri McGuire.
Parsons Police Department is in the process of setting up a new Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) that should debut in September that will have Detective Sergeant Tony Adamson devoting his attention full-time to domestic and intimate partner violence. He will be joined by a new Victim Advocate who has received a conditional job offer as she completes the last of her testing. This program will also create a High-Risk Team (HRT) that will meet to review not just prosecution efforts, but also to dig to find as many services as possible for victims to extricate themselves from violent and risky relationships. This will bring state agencies, local non-profits, and school and college resources together to help victims get on their feet, prepare them for jobs, or educational opportunities so they can break away from the cycle of violence.
“This current case would be a posterchild for the DVU and the HRT to take and run with,” says Detective Sergeant Tony Adamson. “We just had another Aggravated Domestic Violence Assault victim walk into the police station on Tuesday. Within hours, we had that suspect in custody and put him in jail. Last week was a busy week, with three other domestic violence calls that were not felonies occurring in town. The new DVU will allow for real victim follow up, assistance and resources using a new Victim Advocate as a navigator for victims to be walked through the system using multiple partners to identify and ensure services and support are available to victims.”
“Domestic violence in Parsons and throughout SE Kansas is a significant issue. It drives a good chunk of the crime rate in Parsons,” says Patrol Lieutenant Kyle Wiford. “ In 2023, there were 165 domestic violence calls handled in Parsons. That equals a domestic violence incident occurring every 53 hours and 5 minutes. That is above the state and national averages.”
“If you could reduce the felony level domestic violence assaults and misdemeanor domestic violence incidents, Parsons’ crime rate instantly drops and we become one of the safest cities in the state,” said Spinks.
This continues to be an on-going investigation and citizens are encouraged to “See It, Hear It, Report It.” All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.
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