Lawrence police arrest man in connection with downtown homicide

Post last updated at 9:51 p.m. Thursday, July 13:

Lawrence police on Thursday night announced that they arrested a man in connection with the homicide of David Blaine Sullivan, a 62-year-old Lawrence man who was found dead downtown Wednesday morning.

Police arrested Chadwick Potter, a 34-year-old man, Thursday evening on suspicion of first-degree murder. Potter was wanted for questioning, and officers took him to the police station after finding him near 19th and Massachusetts streets around 7 p.m. Thursday.

Sullivan “appeared to have suffered traumatic injuries after being struck with a blunt object” when he was found dead near Sixth and Vermont streets Wednesday morning, according to a Thursday news release from LPD.

“Investigators worked tirelessly over the next day developing and investigating leads which led to Potter being identified as a person of interest,” according to the release.

Potter had not yet been formally charged Thursday night. The case will be submitted to the Douglas County district attorney’s office for charging consideration.

All arrestees and defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless and until they are convicted.

Police said Wednesday that they did not know how long Sullivan had been in the location where he was found.

“Officers responded and found a man on the ground near trees northwest of the intersection who was confirmed to be dead. Crime scene investigators processed the scene and discovered evidence that suggests foul play was involved in the death,” police said in Wednesday’s news release.

“A definitive determination on manner of death will be determined by the Coroner’s office following an autopsy later this week,” the release continued. “While we await that determination, we will continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the man’s death.”

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