Robert "Bob" Andrews murder 1980 - Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas

LOCAL MAN KILLED AT PARTY IN MOTEL

A 27-year-old rural El Dorado man was shot to death early Tuesday morning at a party being held at the El Dorado Motel, located just east of the city on US 54.

Dead is Robert R. Andrews, Jr. Route 1, El Dorado. He was shot in the heart with a shotgun, apparently at close range, as he stood near the door of the motel room.

Apparently the incident started when Andrews arrived at the party which was attended by five El Dorado residents and one Eureka resident. He talked with his girlfriend, according to Butler County Sheriff Dave Williams, and the discussion became more heated as the talk went on.

Williams said Andrews was hit with a beer bottle prior to being shot.

Cocaine apparently was being used at the party according to officers investigating the incident.

The exact circumstances of the shooting are not known according to sheriff officers, due to conflicting statements from the people attending the party. A motive for the shooting was still being determined this morning.

A weapon believed to be the one used in the shooting, is being held by sheriff's officers, but they are unsure if it is the weapon which was actually used.

It appears from visiting the scene of the shooting, that Andrews was shot near the door of the motel room. He then apparently staggered to his car and then to another car, which took him to Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital, where he was dead on arrival.

An autopsy is being performed at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.

Formal charges are expected to be filed in the shooting early this afternoon, but it not known what the charges will be or who will be charged. A suspect is being held in the county jail.

By noon, the investigation into the shooting was continuing at the sheriff's office and officers involved in the investigation were working a double shift.

Officers have been working on the shooting since just after midnight, when the incident was reported.

Most of the details of the crime are sketchy as officers continue to re-interview the persons attending the party. (El Dorado Times, Front Page, November 25, 1980)

Two El Dorado men remained in the Butler County Jail Wednesday after they were charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the shotgun slaying of Robert Andrews.

Charged in Butler County District Court Tuesday were Michael Knowles, 30, and Timothy Foster, both of El Dorado.

They were charged with aiding and abetting in the first degree murder of Andrews at a party in the El Dorado Motel, located just east of El Dorado on US 54.

They were also charged with possession of cocaine. Preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 8.

Bond was set at $75,000 for Foster and $100,000 for Knowles.

The pair was arraigned before Associate District Judge Mike Jaworsky.

Six others attending the party where Andrews was shot were charged with possession of cocaine. Bond was set at $1,500 for each of the six.

The six are Bruce Andrews, Steve Holliday, Alex Nichols, Kathy Talcott, Vicki Harper and Cheryl Foster.

The two were charged in the shooting death because allegedly "one encouraged the other to pull the trigger," according to Norman Manley, deputy Butler County attorney. He declined to say which one is believed to have pulled the trigger.

Authorities say they recovered some cocaine at the party, which was located in the room adjoining the office of the motel.

The pair were led from the Butler County Jail into the courtroom at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, after authorities gathered the evidence needed to formally press charges.

Cheryl Foster, was the first to enter the courtroom, where she was charged with possession of cocaine, in connection with the execution of a search warrant. She is the sister of Tim Foster.

Tim Foster was the second person in the case to be escorted into the courtroom by sheriff's deputies.

While being led in for arraignment, Foster smiled and nodded to photographers on the scene.

Knowles was the last of the group to be charged in court.

Andrews was shot early Tuesday morning, reportedly after getting into an argument with a girlfriend who was attending the party.

The victim apparently was shot while standing near the door of the motel. The shotgun blast hit him in the heart. He then staggered about 10 feet to the side of a car and then staggered to another car, when he was taken to Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. He was dead on arrival at the hospital.

An autopsy was performed at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.

Officers were called to the scene of the shooting shortly after midnight Tuesday and continued in the investigation until charges were filed that afternoon.

A weapon believed to be the one used in the shooting has been recovered by sheriff's officers.

Exact circumstances of the shooting or a motive are not known due to conflicting statements from those attending the party.

Services for Andrews will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Dietz-Carlson Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Sunset Lawns Cemetery.

He was born March 8, 1953 in El Dorado, the son of Robert R. and Dot Marie Neer Andrews Sr. He graduated from Circle High School in 1972 and From Butler County Community College in 1974. He was working at the South Seneca Theater in Wichita.

Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews, Sr., of the home, two brothers, Bruce Andrews, El Dorado, and Donald E. Smith, Latham; a sister, Linda Doan, El Dorado, and a nephew, Lewis Doan, El Dorado. (El Dorado Times, Front Page, November 26, 1980)

JUDGE REDUCES BOND FOR PAIR

During the preliminary hearing of Timothy S. Foster and Michael W. Knowles, both of El Dorado, and charged with first degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Robert Andrews Jr., of El Dorado on Nov. 25, Associate District Judge John M. Jaworsky reduced the bond of the two to $50,000 and bound both Foster and Knowles over for trial. They are also facing charges of possession of cocaine. Their arraingment was set for Jan. 5.

While Knowles is still in confinement in the Butler County Jail, Foster made his bond, ten percent of the $50,000 or $5,000, shortly after the preliminary hearing ended early Tuesday afternoon.

Butler County attorney Bill Ronan said the bond reduction by Jaworsky was despite protests by the county attorney's office. Foster's bond had originally been set at $75,000 while Knowles was being held on $100,000 bond.

Andrews, of El Dorado was shot through the heart during the early morning hours of Nov. 25 just outside the door of a room at the El Dorado Motel, located just east of El Dorado on U.S. 54. Supposedly, there was a party in the motel room where cocaine was being used. Six other people were also charged in connection with the incident all for possession of cocaine. (El Dorado Times, Dec. 24, 1980)

MICHAEL B. KNOWLES PLEADS GUILTY TO REDUCED CHARGE

Michael B. Knowles, 30, El Dorado, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter and an original remaining charge of possession of cocaine Wednesday morning in Division Two of Butler County District Court in connection with the Nov. 25, 1980 shooting of the 27 year old Robert R. Andrews, Jr., outside of an El Dorado motel room.

Involuntary manslaughter is a Class E felony and carries a possible penalty of either one-to-two years or one-to-five years in jail. Possession of cocaine is classified as a Class C felony and carries a penalty of one to 10 or five to 20 years in jail.

Knowles and Timothy Foster, also of El Dorado were originally charged with first degree murder and possession of cocaine. Charges of first degree murder against Foster were dropped by the Butler County attorney's office a week ago. Foster is still charged, along with six other persons in connection with the incident, with possession of cocaine.

Sentencing was set for Knowles at 1:30 p.m. on May 8. The preliminary hearing for the others charged with possession of cocaine, six El Doradoans and one person from Eureka is set for April 13 in district court.

In this case, we felt there was a very strong case for self-defense, Butler County attorney Bill Ronan said, but the evidence indicated there was excessive use of force on the part of Mr. Knowles.

The amended charge of involuntary manslaughter against Knowles states that Knowles did unintentionally kill a human being, Robert Andrews, without malice while in the commission of a lawful act, i.e., self defense in an unlawful and wanton manner, i.e., excessive force. Ronan said that according to testimony by witnesses, Andrews arrived at the hotel, where a party was in progress, got into an argument wit his girlfriend who was there, and, at one point, Andrews produced a knife.

Allegedly, Ronan said, Andrews chased Foster and Knowles into the motel room bathroom, and then left the motel room. Andrews then came back and apparently kicked in the door of the room, as evidenced by the broken door jamb and chain lock, and almost instantaneously was shot, Ronan said.

Andrews had bee shot through the heart by a .410-gauge shotgun and was dead on arrival at the hospital. Butler County sheriff's deputies and investigators were on the scene just east of El Dorado on U.S. 54, almost immediately after the incident occurred.

This was not an intentional killing." Ronan said. Witness testimony showed he (Knowles) was just trying to scare Andrews, but he did use excessive force. (El Dorado Times, April 1, 1981, Front Page)