Kansas man sentenced in death of girlfriend’s mother’s boyfriend

JEFFERSON COUNTY— A Kansas man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for killing his girlfriend’s mother’s boyfriend near a northeast Kansas lake.

Jonathan Davis Blevins, 23, of Topeka, will not be eligible for parole for 50 years, according to the Jefferson Co. Attorney’s Office.

In March, a Jefferson County jury convicted Blevins of first-degree murder in the death of Taylor Sawyer. He had been shot to death and his body was found in March of 2018 at Perry Lake. Blevin’s girlfriend, Ashlyn Hemmerling was arraigned last month on a charge of first-degree murder in the case. Her mother, Sarah Hemmerling, initially was charged with obstruction, but that charge was dropped.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig said previously that authorities believe Ashlyn Hemmerling helped orchestrate the homicide. He said circumstances leading to the homicide may have involved a domestic dispute as well as drug use.