TOPEKA – On Tuesday, Governor Laura Kelly issued the following statement announcing the denial of Reginald Carr and Jonathan Carr’s clemency requests for commutation of their death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a statement from the governor's office.
“I have long supported the repeal of the death penalty, believing it an impractical, expensive burden on the state. And, because it mandates multiple opportunities for appeal, it drastically delays closure for the families of the victims. A sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole makes much more sense for all concerned."
“However, the death penalty is current law in Kansas and, if ever there were a situation in which the death penalty is justified, it is that of the unspeakably heinous acts of torture and murder committed by Reginald and Jonathan Carr."
“Because of the horrific nature of their crimes and because it appears that their punishment was meted out after thoughtful consideration by a jury of their peers, I am denying the death sentence commutation requests of both Reginald Carr and Jonathan Carr."
“I hope that this denial provides some comfort for those who still grieve their loved ones 26 years later.”
In December of 2000, the Carr brothers broke into a Wichita home and forced the three men and two women there to have sex with one another and later to withdraw money from ATMs.
According to police, the women were raped repeatedly before all five were taken to a soccer field and shot. Four victims died: Aaron Sander, 29; Brad Heyka, 27; Jason Befort, 26; and Heather Muller, 25. One of the women survived to testify against the Carr brothers. Other crimes over six days left a fifth person dead.
The brothers are being held in the El Dorado Correctional Facility.
The process by which individuals who have received a death penalty sentence are allowed to make clemency requests for commutations of death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole is as follows:
Individuals who have received a death penalty sentence may request a commutation of that sentence to life without the possibility of parole by submitting an application to the Prisoner Review Board (PRB). The PRB must provide a 30-day notice to victims, the prosecuting attorney, and the judge of the court in which the defendant was convicted. After the 30-day notice has elapsed, the PRB must submit a report on the application to the governor within 120 days. The governor cannot take action on a request for clemency before receiving the report from the PRB, unless, if after 120 days, the PRB has not yet submitted a report. Additional information about the clemency process can be found here and here.
As of July 14, 2026, the Office of the Governor has denied clemency applications from the following individuals sentenced to death: Reginald Carr (denied), Jonathan Carr (denied), John Robinson (denied).