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The State Finance Council of Kansas, including Governor Laura Kelly, Attorney General Kris Kobach, and bipartisan legislative leaders, has approved a $275,000 settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit involving the Kansas Department of Corrections.
The payment will go to the estate of Gary Raburn, an inmate who was strangled to death in a shared cell at Lansing Correctional Facility.
Background of the Case
The lawsuit was filed in Leavenworth County District Court following the death of 62-year-old Gary Raburn in January 2023.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) ruled Raburn’s death a homicide, confirming he had been strangled while housed with Ladarious Racquez Barkers, who now faces capital murder charges.
Attorney General Kobach recommended the settlement to avoid further litigation, and the State Finance Council unanimously approved the motion during a closed executive session. House Speaker Dan Hawkins made the motion, which was seconded by Senate President Ty Masterson.
Previous Payout and Negligence Claims
This agreement follows a previous $150,000 settlement in 2024, which removed Centurion of Kansas, the state’s prison healthcare provider, from the lawsuit.
Raburn’s family alleged negligence by both the Department of Corrections and Centurion, claiming they failed to protect Raburn from a violent cellmate.
History of Violence by the Accused
Barkers, Raburn’s cellmate, had a history of violent behavior in multiple Kansas prisons, including El Dorado, Hutchinson, and Lansing.
His disciplinary record includes assault, battery, arson, theft, fighting, and inciting riots. In 2017, he was sentenced to 15 years for aggravated battery and robbery after assaulting a priest in Kansas City, Kansas.
Just a month before the fatal incident, Barkers had been cited four times for battery, further underscoring his dangerous behavior.
Circumstances Surrounding Raburn’s Death
On the evening of January 6, 2023, Lansing Correctional Facility officials were alerted by Barkers to a possible emergency. Staff discovered Raburn unresponsive in the cell, and the KBI was called at 9:30 p.m. to investigate.
At the time of his death, Raburn had returned to prison for violating Kansas’s offender registry law. Previously, he served eight years for a 2005 conviction of aggravated kidnapping in Neosho County.
The $275,000 settlement marks the latest chapter in a tragic case that highlights serious concerns over inmate safety and state accountability.
With unanimous approval, Kansas lawmakers have moved to resolve legal claims stemming from the fatal negligence that led to Gary Raburn’s death.
However, the case continues to shed light on broader issues within the state’s prison system, including cellmate assignment protocols and handling of violent inmates.