Man pleads to lesser charge in Wichita death

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A judge sentenced a 23-year-old Wichita man to just over nine years in prison for a fatal shooting two years ago.

The prosecutor’s office said Cavontay Conway pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Dennis Haynes, 49, of Wichita.

The shooting occurred just before 8 a.m. on August 15, 2022, in the 5200 block of E. Gilbert Street, northeast of Lincoln and Oliver. An investigation by the Wichita Police Department revealed that Haynes and several other people were inside a home when two gunmen entered and shot Dennis.

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Police arrested Conway and 39-year-old Shannon Cavitt Jr. They were both charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder and four counts of kidnapping during the commission of a felony.

In August, Conway pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated burglary, grand larceny and four counts of kidnapping.

District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced him to 110 months in prison, with 36 months after his release. He also ordered him to pay $3,000 in restitution.

Cavitt, the other suspect in the case, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison last year. He is currently being held at the Larned Correctional Mental Health Center. The Kansas Department of Corrections lists his earliest possible release date as January 2048.

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