BonnerSprings.com

Four years after the Nov. 11, 2005, slaying of Tonganoxie resident Robin Bell, all three suspects involved in the murder have seen their day in court.

Amber Russell, 19, of Lenexa, was the last of the three to face trial. She pleaded guilty Monday in juvenile court to first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery for her participation in the crime at a Bonner Springs Dollar General, which Bell managed.

Russell, who was 15 at the time of the slaying, had made a deal with the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office that she would be tried as a minor in exchange for her truthful testimony in the trials of Robert Haberlein and John Backus.

Both men were convicted and have been sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the murder.

The case had remained unsolved until 2007, when Haberlein was brought into the Bonner Springs Police Department and questioned about an unrelated runaway case. During that interview investigators say, the Kansas City, Kan., man revealed details about the Dollar General murder that only the killers involved and crime scene investigators would know.

From there, details of the night of the murder began to unfold into a gruesome story.

Bonner Springs Detective Vicki Fogarty testified during Backus’ trial that Russell told her that Haberlein was the one who shot Bell twice and gave the final fatal blow to the head with a metal tripod.

Russell said Backus was the one who beat Bell with a shovel, broom and step stool, of which the leg went through Bell’s eye socket.

During Haberlein’s trial, Haberlein said Russell and her mother, Yvette Russell, had been responsible for orchestrating the crime because the family was having money problems. He said the reason he had implicated himself through his confession was in order to "take the focus" off them.

Earlier, Yvette Russell pled guilty to aiding in the crime by helping dispose of bloody clothes and the .22 pistol used in the robbery. She is serving an 18-month probation term.

Sentencing for Amber Russell is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 13 in Juvenile Court Division 15.

Comments

1. 

   Anon (anonymous) says…

   Lets see she was supose to be truhful. hummmmm 3 trails 3 different stories. hummmm more like DA's litlle robot. For this trail say this and then now for this trail say this. Good girl(pat on head)

   April 16, 2009 at 9:43 p.m.

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2. 

   Chuck (anonymous) says…

   Anon, The stories didn't change. The facts didn't change. Different information was needed for each trial(note spelling)since there were three different individuals involved. It would be robotic if the exact same words were used three different times. Bottom line, bad people are put where they belong.

   April 22, 2009 at 12:42 a.m.

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3. 

   Anon (anonymous) says…

   The problem the story did change each time. 3 trails 3 very different stories. maybe the word should have been puppett.

   April 22, 2009 at 4:46 p.m.

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