KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Blue ribbons — faded and worn — still hang in the yards of Fairway, Kansas, neighbors as a reminder of Officer Jonah Oswald, who was killed in 2023.
On Thursday, a jury found Andrea Cothran guilty of first-degree murder for her role in his death.
For Mike Martin, Thursday brought back difficult memories.
He tied a fresh blue ribbon to a tree in his front yard near a spot where he holds memories of Officer Oswald patrolling his neighborhood.
"He was always kind to me. We'd talk about things — my family, his family, children. Just a good dude stepping up and doing right by the community," Martin said.
The verdict came directly from the courtroom.
"We the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree," the judge said.
Martin said he is still processing what the verdict means for him and his neighbors.
"I think we're moving forward in a positive direction, I don't know about closure," Martin said.
Johnson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris McMullin said the weight of the case was not lost on those who prosecuted it.
"It's sobering, okay, it's a sobering, it's a big responsibility, it's very sobering," McMullin told KSHB 41 News reporter Alyssa Jackson, who was in the courtroom for the trial.
The blue ribbons in Fairway trace back to the days following Oswald's death.
Christy Hayes, who started the blue ribbon movement, described the impact his loss had on the community.
"To learn that someone was killed in service to protect us and our community, it's devastating," Hayes told KSHB 41 in 2023.
Martin said the ribbons are more than a symbol — they are a personal tribute to someone he considered a friend.
"I believe in service and I support people in a variety of ways, including law enforcement," Martin said.
He added that even brief interactions with Oswald left a lasting impression.
"I appreciate them, even though my encounters with Jonah were brief, they were real, and this is too," Martin added.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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