A 19-year-old Lawrence man who had been facing first-degree murder charges could be sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading no contest on Monday to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement.
Cir Allen Keith Glover was convicted for the death of his friend, Isaiah Neal, 17, who was shot June 13, 2024, outside of a townhome Isaiah shared with his mother and sister in the 2400 block of Alabama Street.
Glover’s trial had been scheduled to begin Monday morning, but prior to jury selection Douglas County District Court Judge Stacey Donovan announced that the district attorney’s office had reached a plea agreement in the case. However, she also noted that the victim’s mother, Natasha Neal, filed a motion at 8:18 a.m. asking to disqualify the Douglas County district attorney’s office for bias against her.
In her motion, Natasha alleged that the DA’s office has a bias against her because it is prosecuting her in two cases, and because she has shed light on wrongs in the local criminal legal system as a vocal activist.
In one case, filed in April, Natasha is charged with criminal discharge of a firearm. The case alleges that in March, Natasha fired two shots at an occupied apartment, though the police affidavit said video footage of the incident “shows a subject walk south … holding his arm extended,” implying that the subject is a man.
The DA’s office filed a second case on Wednesday — two business days before Glover’s trial was set to begin. That case includes five misdemeanor counts alleged to have occurred on the day Isaiah was killed.
Natasha also alleged in the motion that she was not consulted regarding the plea agreement prior to the offer being made, and that she had been “yelled at and insulted” by people within the DA’s office on several occasions.
In court Monday, Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal said he believed the motion was off point and without merit, stating that the court had treated Natasha with courtesy and compassion. He then turned and spoke directly to Natasha, who was sitting with family members in the court gallery.
“Ms. Neal, I have no animus toward you,” he said.
Donovan denied the motion, but acknowledged that conversations between Natasha and the DA’s office had “no doubt” been difficult. She said she believed, however, that prosecutors had done their best to be compassionate, courteous and respectful to the Neal family.
Before accepting Glover’s plea, Donovan explained that she was not bound by the agreement and could sentence him to a greater amount of time based on his criminal history and the Kansas sentencing grid. Although a presentencing investigation has not yet been completed, a preliminary assessment puts Glover’s potential sentence for a Level 2 felony between 11.5 and almost 13 years.
Defense attorney Michael Clarke told the court the plea agreement was presented in the interest of judicial economy, and that Glover had avenues of defense that his team was ready to pursue.
Glover was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting, but that charge was upgraded to first-degree murder after testimony presented during the preliminary hearing.
According to testimony during a preliminary hearing last fall, Glover and Isaiah had been friends since childhood. However, an argument led to a rift in the friendship.
Natasha testified in October that Glover had come to visit her son just before 1 a.m. on June 13. During the visit, a firearm was accidentally discharged inside her son’s bedroom before Glover left the home at approximately 1:10 a.m. Isaiah went outside about five minutes later. Natasha testified that phone records showed she called Isaiah back into the house at 1:17 a.m. Immediately upon ending the call, she heard multiple gunshots ring out, Natasha said.
Among the first people on the scene was Lawrence police Officer Marcellis Mitchell, who testified during the preliminary hearing that he found Isaiah “riddled with bullet holes,” lying on a path leading to the rear of the townhome. Isaiah was pronounced dead at Lawrence Memorial Hospital before his mother could reach him.
Headstamps on nine spent cartridge casings found outside the house matched approximately 60 of 85 additional bullets located nearby in a loaded magazine and in a plastic baggie of ammunition found in Isaiah’s bedroom.
During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented a surveillance video from security cameras at an adjacent apartment complex in which eight gunshots were audible at 1:18 a.m. LPD investigators also located video recorded at 1:24 a.m. from cameras at nearby Broken Arrow Elementary and Billy Mills Middle schools showing footage of a person fitting Glover’s description who appeared to be carrying a handgun.
After explaining the ramifications of accepting a plea and potential sentencing outcomes to Glover in court Monday, Donovan asked Glover for his plea to the single charge of second-degree murder.
“No contest, ma’am,” he said.
Several representatives for the victim’s family are expected to speak during Glover’s sentencing hearing, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
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Andrea Albright (she/her), reporter, can be reached at aalbright (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
Related coverage:
Molly Adams / Lawrence TimesLawrence man accepts plea agreement in fatal shooting; charge reduced to second-degree murder
Andrea Albright/Lawrence Times
