WASHINGTON COUNTY, KS — A Kansas man has been sentenced to prison after pleading no contest to a second degree murder charge earlier this year. 

Court records say Aaron Milldyke was sentenced Monday for the murder of James Hicok in May of 2021. Milldyke pled no contest in July 2022. He will serve 109-123 months (or 9-10.25 years) in prison and serve a three-year term of supervised released and probation afterward. 

According to court documents, on May 20 last year, Washington County deputies responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a car in Hollenburg, KS. When they arrived on scene, deputies found Hicock deceased. 

Two witnesses told police Hicok had been in an argument with someone in a dark-colored sedan in front of a house they were at. Court document say the witnesses told police the driver attempted to strike Hicok who evaded it before the car turned around and came back. Hicok then threw a bottle at the car, which shortly after struck Hicok before driving off. 

Police say Milldyke called Washington County Dispatch to report he had struck someone with his car before he returned home. When police arrived at Milldyke's home, his car had a large dent in the front bumper and windshield damage. 

Court records indicate Milldyke said he was scared of the people in the road in front of the home, thinking one of them was going to brandish a weapon. He told police he revved his engine "in an effort to encourage the subjects in the road to vacate it," according to court records.

The car though was not in neutral. Milldyke told police he swerved to avoid one of the witnesses and hit Hicok. In a statement to police, Milldyke said the action was a "very unfortunate accident," per court records.

Milldyke was arrested that night and has been in custody since.