Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Tuesday, 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. Kelly's statement read:
“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.”
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).
