Tennessee woman charged with murder in death of Fairway police officer pleads not guilty
A Tennessee woman pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald last summer.
Andrea Rene Cothran, 33, was arraigned in Johnson County District Court via Zoom Thursday. She faces the murder charge, along with charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, possession of a firearm by a felon and three counts of theft, all felonies. Cothran also faces a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving.
Last month, Judge Michael P. Joyce found there was sufficient evidence for Cothran to stand trial. Under the felony murder rule, accomplices are held responsible when someone is killed through a significant crime, even if they were not the killer.
Cothran will appear in court again on June 24.
Oswald was killed Aug. 6 when officers from several police departments responded to reports of a dark blue Jeep Grand Cherokee that was stolen from Lenexa. Police pursued the vehicle north on Interstate 35 and the Jeep crashed on the exit ramp to Lamar Avenue.
Cothran and Shannon Wayne Marshall, 40, of Ashland City, Tennessee, then ran into the QuikTrip at 4700 Lamar Avenue in Mission, according to police. Oswald was critically wounded in a shooting that broke out and died in the hospital the following day. Marshall was also killed at the scene.
Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this report.
