Within hours of a woman reporting she’d witnessed a homicide at Perry Lake, authorities arrested a suspect at a Lawrence business where he worked.

Jonathan Blevins, 22, of Topeka was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder early Wednesday afternoon at Low Cost Tobacco Mart, 2104 W. 25th St., Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig said. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office assisted Jefferson County with the arrest.

Jonathan Blevins

Herrig said that, Wednesday morning, a woman reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office that she’d witnessed a homicide the night before at Perry Lake. Douglas County authorities contacted Jefferson County, which also is working with Shawnee County authorities and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on the case.

After receiving the tip, Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies discovered the body of a man later identified as Taylor Sawyer, 22, in a parking area for accessing the lake’s walking trails. Herrig said Sawyer did not have a permanent address but was known to frequent the Lawrence and Topeka areas.

Sawyer died from apparent gunshot wounds, Herrig said. The incident remains under investigation and circumstances leading to the shooting were not yet clear, Herrig said. Authorities believe the victim, the suspect and the woman were the only people at the lake when the shooting happened.

Blevins remained in the Jefferson County jail on Thursday and is expected to be formally charged Friday in Jefferson County district court, Herrig said.