A Lenexa man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and animal cruelty for killing his wife and son, as well as a neighbor’s dog last year.
On Monday in Johnson County District Court, Todd Donovan waived a preliminary hearing and entered guilty pleas for two counts of first-degree murder and one count of cruelty to animals.
Donovan was charged with the murder counts in November 2024 after authorities said he killed his wife, Sheila Donovan, 52, and their son, Tyler Donovan, 22, and a neighbor’s dog.
Judge Michael P. Joyce is presiding over the case.
Police called to Donovan home on Friday evening
On Friday, Nov. 2, 2024, Lenexa police officers were called to a house in the 7900 block of Hallet Street at 8:24 p.m., for an armed disturbance.
“As officers arrived, they heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of the residence,” Master Police Officer Danny Chavez, a Lenexa Police spokesperson, said in a statement at the time.
Following the gunshots, officers spoke on the phone with Todd Donovan and learned he was barricaded inside the residence.
Donovan “refused to comply with officer’s requests to come outside peacefully and the Lenexa Tactical Team and crisis negotiators responded on the barricade operation,” Chavez said after Donovan was taken into custody.
During a five-and-half-hour-long standoff with police, Donovan told officers over the phone that he took about 30 Ambien to “to help himself calm down,” according to KCTV5.
After taking the medication, Donovan stopped speaking for about two hours, although the phone line remained open and he could be heard snoring in the background, court records quoted by KCTV5 stated.
Using a drone, officers were able to go inside the home and found two people lying on the floor with gunshot wounds. When they entered the home, officers found Todd Donovan unconscious but breathing. He was eventually arrested and charged.
Victims remembered for “generous heart” and “close friendships”
Tyler Donovan graduated from Shawnee Mission schools and worked as an electrical lineman, according to his obituary. Before his death, he had recently returned home after assisting hurricane victims in Florida. In addition, he loved hunting and gaming.
“Tyler seldom asked for help but was always the first to offer a hand to others,” his obituary said. “His generous heart and willingness to support friends and family exemplified his selfless spirit, which will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
A Hoxie, Kansas, native, Sheila Donovan was passionate about crafting and fitness, according to her obituary. She enjoyed talking about her faith in God and took pride in her son’s accomplishments.
“Her greatest pride and joy was her son, Tyler, and she delighted in sharing every piece of news about him,” her obituary said. “Her life was filled with close friendships, and she was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.”
Todd Donovan also faces a civil lawsuit
Jerry and Karen Kraft, Sheila’s parents and Tyler’s grandparents, as well as Darcy Sly, Sheila’s sister and executor to Sheila’s estate and administrator of Tyler’s estate, have also filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Todd Donovan.
In their lawsuit, they ask for a survival claim, which allows the probate estate to recover money for the deceased persons’ medical bills, conscious pain and suffering and wage loss prior to their death.
The Kraft family is seeking a “reasonable sum of money in excess of $75,000” for each of five separate counts related to the Donovan murders, according to the lawsuit.
Those five counts include the wrongful death of Sheila Donovan, the wrongful death of Tyler Donovan, assault and battery of Sheila, assault and battery of Tyler and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the Kraft family.
In their civil suit, the Krafts contend that on the night of the shooting, Todd Donovan called them and said he shot and killed his wife and son because they “were ‘making fun of him’ and he snapped, causing him to shoot and kill both of the decedents.”
What’s next
For the criminal charges against him, Todd Donovan is scheduled for sentencing at 9 a.m. on July 21 in Johnson County District Court.
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