LYNDON — James Kraig Kahler said he wants to waive a preliminary hearing on the charges that he murdered his estranged wife, two daughters and his wife’s grandmother in Burlingame on Thanksgiving 2009. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kahler said he doesn’t want his 11-year-old son exposed to the stress and emotional trauma of testifying during a preliminary hearing. His son, Sean Kahler, fled his great-grandmother’s house in Burlingame during the murders. The Kansas Attorney General’s office is prosecuting the case but is objecting to canceling the hearing, saying the prosecution also has a right to the proceeding. A judge has ruled that Sean Kahler can testify by a remote television hookup during the preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing determines if there’s enough evidence to hold a trial. James Kraig Kahler’s preliminary hearing is set to start Dec. 21 in Osage County District Court in Lyndon.
He is accused of killing his estranged wife, Karen Kahler; his daughters, Emily and Lauren Kahler; and Dorothy Wight.
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m.
