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Fourth person charged, pleads in Bonner Springs homicide
By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)
Originally published 01:15 p.m., March 18, 2008
Updated 01:15 p.m., March 18, 2008
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A fourth person has been charged and pleaded guilty in connection with the death of Robin K. Bell, 44, of Tonganoxie, a Dollar General store manager who was beaten and murdered during a 2005 robbery at the store in Bonner Springs.

Bell was the stepmother of Ashlie Marx-Bell of Emporia and Erin Bell of Madison and the wife of the young women’s father, Don Bell of Tonganoxie.

Yvette Russell was charged last month with aiding in a felony, according to Sheryl Lidtke, Wyandotte County deputy district attorney.

“She waived her preliminary (hearing) and she pled guilty last Friday, as charged, to aiding a felon,” Lidtke said.

Yvette Russell’s sentencing was set for 9:15 a.m. April 18.

In late December, hearings were held for three others who were charged in conjunction with the murder of Bell, 44.

Robert M. Haberlein, 19, of Kansas City and John W. Backus, 20, of Bonner Springs, were bound over for trial on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery in conjunction with Bell’s death.

A third person, Amber M. Russell of Lenexa, who was 15 at the time of the incident, was charged in juvenile court with the same counts.

Haberlein, then 17, also had been charged in juvenile court. Because of his violent juvenile record, however, Haberlein later was charged as an adult.

All three were bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing in Wyandotte County District Court.

Lidtke said that she could not comment on whether Yvette Russell and Amber Russell were related.

“I can’t comment on any of the investigation,” Lidtke said.

“The aiding a felon is a Level 8 felony and in Kansas, on the sentencing grid, if somebody is convicted of that crime, with her ... lack of criminal history, they will be looking at presumptive probation,” she said.

A presentence investigation or other information, however, could affect the sentencing.

“I can’t predict what a judge will do,” Lidtke said.

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wonder why this story was never in the bonner or kc papers. The women are related . The mother of the girl knew what happened and gets probation and you complain about 20 yr sentence!!!!

On Murder trial continued until next week