Covington man gets life sentence after 2021 murder of two friends

DEMOSSVILLE, Ky. (WXIX) - A Covington man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the shooting deaths of two people in 2021.

Jacob Roberts pleaded guilty last week in the slayings of Madison Klups, 24, and Dillon Carpenter, 28, according to Pendleton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Doug Miller.

Klups and Carpenter were found shot to death in May 2021 at Carpenter’s home on Straub Lane in DeMossville, authorities said at the time.

“He’s not getting out,” Madison’s mother, Sheri Klups said of Roberts Monday. “His last breath will be in prison.”

Klups says her daughter, who lived in Springboro, Ohio, went visit Carpenter for the weekend because they were family friends. She says Madison didn’t know her killer and calls it a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“My daughter is gone forever,” Sheri said. “I miss her horribly. It’s awful.”

The bereaved mother describes her daughter as being “full of life” with a “bubbly” personality. “She was just a spunky thing,” Sheri said. “She was an awesome girl... She was so awesome.”

Roberts allegedly went to Carpenter’s home armed with a gun intending to rob him, according to Miller. Roberts asked Carpenter to use his phone as a ploy to get inside the home, Miller says.

Once inside, Roberts shot the pair eight times at close range before throwing the murder weapon into the Ohio River, according to the commonwealth’s attorney.

Cincinnati police arrested Roberts a month later on separate charges related to him pointing a gun at a Boone County sheriff’s deputy and sergeant during a multi-faceted police chase. The chase began with a drug complaint in Boone County and ended with officers shooting Roberts getting shot in the parking lot of the Newport Plaza Shopping Center.

A grand jury indicted him on murder charges the following week after an investigation by Kentucky State Police.

Roberts pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and theft as well as one count each of robbery, burglary and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

The commonwealth’s attorney’s office sought the death penalty at trial. But after consulting with the victims’ families, and with their approval, they recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of probation or parole. The judge followed that recommendation.

“Our hearts go out to the families of Dillion and Madison,” said First Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Laws. “Although they will always feel the loss of their loved ones, I hope that this result will help bring them some measure of closure.”

Sheri says she did feel a sense of closure afterward.

“It took a moment to process, but yes, I have a little bit of peace to know that Madison has gotten justice, and so has Dillon,” she said.

Roberts is being held in the East Kentucky Correctional Complex in West Liberty.

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