Wichita Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Spree of Church, Business Burglaries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2026

WICHITA, Kan. — A Wichita man will spend more than 11 years in prison for a months-long burglary spree that targeted local churches and businesses.

Sedgwick County District Judge Kevin M. Smith sentenced Stephen D. Rowell, 49, on Friday to 136 months in prison. The sentence follows a string of 11 separate burglaries committed between May and August 2025. Once Rowell completes his prison term, he must serve 12 months of postrelease supervision. He was also ordered to pay more than $28,000 in  restitution to his victims.

The case was solved through a coordinated effort by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office along with police departments from Wichita, Goddard, and Maize. Investigators used security camera footage to identify Rowell as the suspect, and the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center later matched Rowell’s DNA to evidence recovered from a crime scene.

At the time of these burglaries, Rowell was already under the supervision of the Kansas Department of Corrections for prior offenses. Because of his criminal history, Judge Smith ordered the new sentence to run consecutively to his previous convictions. This means Rowell must finish serving his time for his prior crimes before the new 11-year term begins.