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Dan Benton

Preliminary hearing set for man who shot Corey Ballentine, killed Dwane Simmons

Shawnee County District Judge Cheryl Rios revealed on Thursday that a preliminary hearing has been officially set for the man who shot New York Giants cornerback Corey Ballentine and murdered his friend and former Washburn teammate, Dwane Simmons.

18-year-old Francisco Alejandro Mendez, who is charged with premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder, will appear before the court for the first time on September 9 — one day after the Giants open their season against the Dallas Cowboys.

Assistant Shawnee County District Attorney Charles Kitts will prosecute the case, while attorney Kevin Shepherd will serve as Mendez’s defense.

Mendez is accused of shooting both Ballentine and Simmons outside of an off-campus party on April 28, just hours after Ballentine was selected in the sixth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

In addition to the charges Mendez faces from the April 28 shooting, he also faces two counts of aggravated robbery stemming from an April 27 incident and three counts of aggravated robbery stemming from an April 30 incident.

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