OLATHE, Kan. – A Johnson County judge has sentenced a man to consecutive life terms for murdering a teenager over an $8 Xanax deal.
In Kansas, a life sentence equals 50 years. Matthew Lee Bibee, Jr. will have to serve at least 50 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
In addition to consecutive life sentences, the judge also sentenced Bibee to:
- 14 years for attempted first degree murder,
- two years for aggravated robbery,
- one year for battery on a law enforcement officer,
- six months for the battery,
- two years for attempted aggravated robbery, e
- six months for interference with law enforcement.
Bibee will serve the sentences concurrently.
In October 2022, a jury convicted Bibee of crimes related to the murder of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett.
Court documents show Bibee arranged to buy Xanax in March 2019.
The affidavit says Padgett was killed after the deal fell through. Bibee, who was 18 at the time, was injured two days later in a shootout with police.
Two other then-teenagers were also convicted in connection with Padgett’s murder.
In 2020, Jordan Denny was sentenced to nine months probation for her role in the botched drug deal.
Rolland Kobelo was sentenced to more than four years in juvenile detention for helping close the deal.
