Keith Robbins
MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson announced the following sentence in Chautauqua County Court:
Keith Robbins, 37, of Jamestown, was sentenced Monday on one count of Manslaughter in the 1st Degree. The sentence stems from his plea of guilty to the charge on October 26, 2017 in front of Chautauqua County Court by the Honorable David W. Foley.
“Today, with the family of Shari Robbins present, closure in the matter came in the form of a twenty-five (25) year state prison sentence.,” Swanson said.
Judge Foley sentenced Robbins to 25 years in state prison for the conviction of Manslaughter in the 1st Degree. He will also have five years of supervised released after completing his sentence.
The offense occurred on November 10, 2016, around 9 a.m., when Keith Robbins shot and killed his estranged wife as she was parking her car at work. He then fled and went into hiding from police for five days. On November 15, 2016, Jamestown Police received a tip and apprehended him at a family member’s home.
The District Attorney was pleased with the disposition as it provided closure to Ms. Robbins family and prevented the Robbins children from having to testify and endure a lengthy trial.
“My heart breaks for the Robbins children and the Johnson family (Shari Robbins family),” Swanson said. “I have been in constant contact with the Johnson family during the pendency of this case and they are pleased that we have been able to put this tragic event to rest with the defendant admitting guilt. Hopefully, the Robbins children and Shari’s family can move forward, receiving the help that they need to heal, in order to live somewhat normal lives.”
The District Attorney added that this was a case of domestic violence that unfortunately led to a death, and should serve as a reminder to all those who suffer at the hands of another to get help.
“There are far too many cases of those in relationships that accept violence from their loved one,” Swanson said.
“Those abused frequently stay in abusive relationships for far too long, thinking that the abuser will change. That is rarely the case. Sadly, Ms. Robbins was finally taking those steps to permanently remove the defendant from her life before this happened.”
Swanson encourages any sufferers of domestic abuse to contact their local police department, the Salvation Army or Project Crossroads in Jamestown.
“I also want to thank Chief Snellings and Jamestown Police Department, our local FBI partners and the Chautauqua County Forensic Investigation Team for their outstanding work on this case,” Swanson said.
If your grand plan for killing your spouse involves running to mommy’s house and hiding in the basement, well, you need to work on your plan a bit.