A Lawrence man accused of killing a man and stabbing his dog outside of a Dillons in 2021 pleaded no contest to two charges and was convicted Friday.
Robert Earl Davis, 58, appeared in court before Douglas County District Judge Sally Pokorny on counts of voluntary manslaughter and animal cruelty.
Davis was charged in the Aug. 18, 2021 stabbing homicide of Daniel Evan Brooks, 66. Brooks was stabbed at the former Dillons on 1015 W. 23rd St., as was his dog, Bear. Brooks did not survive the attack.
Bear was taken to the Lawrence Humane Society that day, where he recovered. He was ultimately adopted by Brooks’ brother and died peacefully with his family beside him in April 2024.
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Officers who arrived at the scene found Davis still holding a knife, but they spoke to him and convinced him to drop the weapon, according to a Lawrence Police Department press release at the time.
The factual basis prosecutors provided for the plea suggested that Davis was aware and knew what he was doing when he killed Brooks and stabbed his dog in response to a quarrel.
Davis was taken into custody and formally charged the following day with first-degree murder and cruelty to animals.
Pokorny is ordering a pre-sentencing investigation to look into Davis’ criminal history and help determine his sentence.
Depending on criminal history, a voluntary manslaughter sentence could entail anywhere from 55 to 247 months in prison — a range of less than five years to more than 20. Under the plea agreement in Davis’ case, the state can only argue for up to 154 months, or almost 13 years, but the judge is not necessarily bound by the plea agreement.
In the years since his arrest, Davis has been sent to state mental hospitals for multiple stints, and wait lists are often long for people awaiting treatment. That has contributed to the long delay for the case to be resolved.
Davis was deemed fit for trial in March, meaning professionals who have evaluated him believe that in his current mental condition, he can understand and participate in his court proceedings. His jury trial was set to begin next month until the plea hearing was set for Friday.
During the hearing, Pokorny told Davis he looked better and healthier than he had in four years and that he was well liked in the facilities he’s resided at for the past few years.
When asked how he felt, he smiled and agreed. He said his mental health was not affecting his ability to understand.
Davis’ sentencing is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12.
Davis will need to register as a violent offender for 15 years, registering four times a year once he’s released, as long as he resides in Kansas.
Davis has been in custody and his bond has remained at $750,000 cash or surety since his arrest.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
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August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Shannon Wells, Lawrence Humane Society / Contributed Photo
Dog who was stabbed and whose owner was killed is recovering, ‘supervising’ at Lawrence Humane Society
Bear’s slightly scruffy, mostly-black fur is tinged with gray around his nose and paws. His big brown eyes might not appear quite as sad if we didn’t know what he had been through in the past couple of days. But we know that Wednesday morning, Bear was stabbed and went into shock.
Latest Lawrence news:
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
