LARNED — A Garden City woman has pleaded “no contest” in Pawnee County District Court to felony charges relating to the escape of an inmate from the Sexual Predator Treatment Unit at Larned State Hospital.
Liliana Houser, 45, of Garden City was one of three females apprehended and charged as accomplices in the June 30, 2021, escape of John Freeman Colt. All three women were employed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) at LSH at the time of Colt’s escape.
After an intensive search by Pawnee County law enforcement in tandem with the U.S. Marshals Service, Colt was located and apprehended by Wayne County, Utah authorities in September of 2021.
Two of the women charged have since bonded out of the Pawnee County Jail and are awaiting their first appearances on similar charges. Houser remains in custody of the Pawnee County Jail since her arrest.
On Thursday afternoon, Houser appeared for felony arraignment before 24th District Judge Bruce Gatterman. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Houser entered a plea of “no contest” to three felony counts: unlawful sexual relations with a patient while employed by KDADS; traffic in contraband in a care and treatment facility while employed by KDADS; and obstructing in the apprehension or prosecution of a registered sex offender.
In exchange for the plea, the State agreed to dismiss an additional count of unlawful sexual relations with a patient while employed by KDADS and nine additional counts of traffic in contraband in a care and treatment facility while employed by KDADS.
In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the court on testimony that would have been offered had the matter proceeded to trial. McNett advised that Houser, while employed at LSH, engaged in a sexual relationship with Colt between Jan. 17 and June 24, 2021 and that she sent sexually explicit videos to Colt utilizing the Facebook Messenger platform.
Additionally, when law enforcement interviewed her on July 1, 2021, Houser failed to disclose the relationship or the existence of Colt’s Facebook account.
The State’s position in the case was that the nondisclosure was intended to assist Colt avoid apprehension as information contained in the account later played a crucial role in the investigation.
McNett noted the defendant did not make any statement regarding the State’s evidence presented.
Prior to accepting the plea, Judge Gatterman advised Houser she would be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 25 years. Under Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Houser faces a presumptive prison sentence between 31 months and 136 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections, depending on her criminal history.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 17. Bond is currently set at $45,000 cash or surety, with additional reporting requirements should bond be posted.
