Auburn man charged with first-degree murder in 2021 accident

An Auburn man has been formally charged with first-degree murder in connection with the May 2021 traffic accident that left a Topeka woman dead and four others injured, according to Jackson County District Court records.

Robert E. Love Jr. also faces three felony charges of aggravated battery while driving under the influence and 10 other charges in a criminal case filed Thursday, Nov. 17 in district court by Jackson County Attorney Jeff Morrow.

The charges against Love stem from a May 27, 2021 vehicle pursuit that ended in a two-vehicle crash about seven miles north of Holton on U.S. Highway 75. The crash resulted in the death of Shai Boyd, 26, of Topeka, and injuries to Love — who was 42 at the time of the incident — and three others.

Jackson County sheriff’s officers were notified of a vehicle pursuit late that night, in which a Holton police officer was in pursuit of a 2009 Dodge Avenger driven by Love, who failed to stop for the officer and continued northbound out of Holton on U.S. 75. The Avenger then reportedly headed east on 254th Road, then northbound on V Road.

Sheriff’s officers then assisted with pursuit of the Avenger, which headed west on 286th Road and failed to stop at the road’s intersection with U.S. 75, colliding with a southbound 2018 Jeep Renegade driven by Sara Ditch of Topeka. Both vehicles left the roadway, with the Avenger landing on its side.

Boyd, a passenger in the Avenger, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Love and another passenger in the Avenger, Ciara Evertson of Topeka, were taken to a Topeka hospital for treatment of suspected serious injuries. Ditch and her passenger, Scott Ditch of Topeka, were both taken to a Topeka hospital with minor injuries.

The case against Love was filed on Thursday following an investigation by the Kansas Highway Patrol, it was reported. Love was charged with first-degree murder, an off-grid person felony, in Boyd’s death, while the three aggravated battery charges, each a level 4 person felony, stemmed from injuries caused to the other three involved in the accident.

The other charges against Love included fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a level 9 person felony; interference with law enforcement, driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked and driving while declared a habitual violator, all class A misdemeanors; reckless driving and illegal display of a license plate, both unclassified misdemeanors; and driving on the left in a no-passing zone, improper or unsafe turn, signal or stop, speeding and failure to yield at a stop or yield sign, all infractions.

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