Pair sentenced for involvement in killing of 22-year-old Topeka man in 2024

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A local judge sentenced two people Monday who admitted to their roles in the killing of a 22-year-old Topeka man in 2024.

A Shawnee County judge sentenced 26-year-old Lolita L. Bradford and 25-year-old Michael D. Allen on Sept. 8 for participating in the death of Topekan Cody P. Cooper in April 2024. 27 News checked court records which show that Bradford and Allen received the following sentences for their crimes:

• Allen – 155 months or around 13 years.
  • Murder in the 2nd degree.
• Bradford – 227 months or around 19 years.
  • Aggravated burglary.
  • Murder in the 2nd degree.

Officers with the Topeka Police Department (TPD) were called around 8 a.m. on April 19, 2024 to the 3700 block of Southwest Park Court on reports of gunshots in the area. Police found a man, later identified as Cooper, at the scene suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. First responders declared him dead a short time later.

Police arrested three people in connection to the deadly shooting: Bradford, Allen and 28-year-old Kavshun J. Boykin. A jury found Boykin guilty of charges including murder in the first degree and aggravated burglary of a dwelling in July 2025. Boykin is set to be sentenced in September this year.

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