Aug 10, 2024 – A Wichita, Kansas man this week pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a case related to a 2021 motor vehicle crash near Olive Branch that resulted in the death of a Hutchinson, Kansas woman.
Aaron Corkill, age 31 of Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty in DeSoto County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 15 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Corkill was accused of intentionally driving his truck into a bridge pillar on I-22 outside Olive Branch in late July 2021. The 11 a.m. crash near the I-269 interchange killed Cynthia Teter of Hutchinson, Kansas, who had been reported missing just days earlier. Corkill was injured in the crash and was taken to Regional One Health in Memphis in serious condition. The crash caused the eastbound lanes of the interstate to be blocked until about 12:30 p.m. that afternoon.
Jail information states that Corkill was arrested and booked into the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center in February of this year.
Assistant District Attorney Gordon Shaw prosecuted the case for the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation was led by the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Crash Team.
“While no sentence can bring back the life of Cynthia Teter, I commend the dedication of Prosecutor Shaw and the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Crash Team in handling this complex case,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton. “Aaron Corkill’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life and the safety of our community, and this maximum sentence reinforces our commitment to prosecuting such heinous acts to the fullest extent of the law.”
