KBI agent honored

Lawrence native and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent Robert Jacobs has been honored for his work on a capital murder case in the 2005 shooting death of a Greenwood County sheriff.

Jacobs, KBI agent Bill Halvorsen and Neal Tierney of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, each received a Guardian of Justice Award from the office of U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren for their efforts in the case of Scott Cheever.

Cheever was convicted and sentenced to death in November for the 2005 shooting death of Sheriff Matt Samuels.

Jim Cross, spokesman for Melgren’s office, said the agents worked the case diligently.

“Those guys gave more of themselves than you can really require of an investigator,” he said.

Jacobs, who works in the KBI’s Wichita office, said receiving the honor was humbling.

He noted the effort involved many people from several agencies, including the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.

“There were a lot of us that worked on this case,” he said. “It was a success in the sense of being able to see justice done all the way through.”

Jacobs’ father, Lawrence dentist Robert Jacobs, said the family was proud.

“Robert has always wanted to be in law enforcement,” the elder Jacobs said. “He’s always been a type of person who wanted to help people, and this is the way he’s chosen to do that.”

Jacobs is a 1988 Lawrence High graduate. He holds degrees from Baker and Washburn universities. He has been a special agent with the KBI since 2001.