An Independence man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for gunning down another man on a Leavenworth County road nearly six years ago, in a case that began with a bar fight in Lansing and ended with a fatal gunshot through a car window. Joshua X. Craig, now 24, was sentenced to 122 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter and ordered to pay nearly $11,500 in restitution.
The case traces back to around 2 a.m. on August 16, 2020, when a brief altercation at a bar in Lansing spilled out into the parking lot and onto the road, according to The Kansas City Star and KCTV5. Two vehicles followed the victim after the confrontation, and Craig was riding as a passenger in one of them. As the pursuit unfolded along Eisenhower Road, Craig fired a shot at the victim's vehicle, shattering the rear window and fatally striking the man inside.
From Murder Charges to a Plea Deal
Craig's legal exposure was initially far more severe than the manslaughter plea that ultimately stuck. The case initially involved charges that were different from the involuntary manslaughter plea Craig eventually entered.
That changed on June 29, 2026, when Craig pleaded guilty. The plea came nearly six years after the shooting.
Why the Charge Fits a Sudden Quarrel
Why the Charge Fits a Sudden Quarrel The case involved a bar-fight-turned-car-chase and ended with a manslaughter guilty plea.
Craig was sentenced to 122 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $11,500 in restitution.
A Prosecutor's Office Handling Multiple Major Cases
The Leavenworth County Attorney's office announced the plea, as reported by KMBC, which identifies Todd Thompson as the county attorney.
Eisenhower Road, where the shooting took place, is in Leavenworth County. The nearly six-year span between the shooting and Craig's final sentencing underscores how long violent-crime cases can wind through Leavenworth County's court system before reaching resolution, a delay that can weigh heavily on victims' families waiting for closure.
