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Man Charged with Murder in Kansas is alleged bank robber in Bellevue

The Shawnee County, Kansas District Attorney's office has charged Stephen Macomber of murder; he's the same man Bellevue Police believed robbed the Bank of the West Bellevue last Friday morning. BPD Chief John Stacey said the note the robber used to hold up the bank had been traced to Macomber, "Our investigators immediately partnered with the FBI after having traced the piece of paper to his bank account. We were starting to track him down when he surfaced; we were on his trail when everything started to happen on Monday."

Macomber was charged on Wednesday, June 9th, in the Monday shooting death of 26 year-old Ryan Lofton of Topeka, Kansas. Charges of murder and a felon in possession of a firearm were filed.

Macomber was arrested after being wounded during an exchange of gunfire in Blue Rapids Tuesday morning. During the exchange, Macomber was shot in the left arm. A Kansas deputy was also shot and wounded in the exchange.

Macomber was on parole from having served time at a penitenery in Kansas for aggravated battery in December 1992 in Reno County, aggravated battery in January 1986 in Sedgwick County, and three aggravated robbery convictions in August 1987 in Sedgwick County. Macomber had served 23 years in prison before being paroled in September of 2009.

Photo: Stephen Macomber