Death Penalty

Double murder suspect Lillie Stanton may be facing the death penalty for the murders of her daughter and granddaughter last spring. Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith is considering whether to pursue capital punishment in Stanton's case, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Heidi Engel said. That decision could come by March 14, when Stanton is due back in court for a pre-trial conference. Stanton, 48, of 233 Vaught Road, is facing two counts of murder in the deaths of her 23-year-old daughter Danel Korrey Stanton and her 22-month-old granddaughter Kaydence Ray Miers on May 20. According to police, she admitted in two interviews that she killed them both rather than face the possibility that the child's father would gain more visitation time during a final custody hearing in family court.

HARRODSBURG - With a legal challenge cleared, the murder case against James Michael Kelley is moving forward as a capital case. Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms filed “a notice of aggravators” last week that will allow him to seek the death penalty against Kelley if the suspect is convicted of the 2010 murder of John “Bud” Dacci. “At this point, we want all options on the table, including the death penalty,” Bottoms said Wednesday. In the notice, Bottoms states he intends to prove Kelley is guilty of first-degree burglary and may prove first-degree robbery, aggravating factors needed to increase murder from a Class A felony to a capital charge.

Stephen Bright has traveled a long way to wage a legal opposition against capital punishment, but Tuesday night one of the death penalty's most ardent opponents was arguing his case at home. Bright, a native son of Boyle County, was at Danville city hall to address members of the group Citizens Concerned for Human Relations, as well as an audience of interested residents that included a multitude of his family members. The president of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, a group he led as director for more than two decades, gave the crowd a history lesson of what he said are iniquities in imposition of the modern death penalty in America since statutes were upheld in several states in 1976.

Prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty against the only survivor from a 2011 home invasion that left two people dead. Aaron Lewis, 25, of Lexington, has been incarcerated for nearly a year for allegedly breaking into a duplex on Redwing Drive. Resident Phillip Howard Jr. was killed in the process. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Johnson said in Clark Circuit Court Friday that the final decision would be made by Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith, and the process of setting a trial date would follow.

For the second time in a week, prosecutors announced they would be seeking the death penalty in a Clark County homicide. On Thursday, 30-year-old Aaron Lewis and his attorneys were notified of the change in his case, which stems from a May 2011 home invasion on Redwing Drive. Lewis, of Lexington, is facing murder and first-degree burglary charges from the May 23, 2011 shooting death of Philip Howard Jr. inside his home. Clark Circuit Judge William Clouse also reserved the entire month of April 2013 for Lewis' trial, which will begin on April 1. In Kentucky, prosecutors are allowed to seek the death penalty if a homicide occurred during the commission of another violent crime such as first-degree arson, first-degree robbery, first-degree rape and murder.

Prosecutors will pursue the death penalty against a Georgetown man and his ex-girlfriend for a December home invasion and homicide of Andrew David Ingram. Though the formal paperwork has not been finalized, Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith has decided to pursue it against suspects Percy Hargrove, 26, of Georgetown, and Sheena Tipton, 26, of Clay City. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Johnson told their attorneys and the judge Thursday in Clark Circuit Court. Kentucky law allows for the death penalty in cases where a death occurred during the commission of another crime.

A judge is mulling a motion that could exclude the death penalty from one of the suspects in a fatal home invasion in December. Another pending motion seeks to have the trials of Percy Hargrove III¿and his ex-girlfriend Sheena Tipton split, so they would be tried separately for their alleged roles in the killing of Andrew David Ingram near his Winchester home on Dec. 14, 2011. Hargrove, 26, of Georgetown, is charged with murder and first-degree burglary for allegedly forcing his way into Ingram's home on Whitney Court and then shooting him behind a neighboring home.

Dear Editor, In a letter to the editor in The Advocate-Messenger on Jan. 17, Terry Bugg makes a fundamental error in his argument that prisoners have no right to object to lethal injection as a means of execution. The death penalty is just that; a judgment by society that some crimes are so heinous that the perpetrator deserves to die. But since the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bars "cruel and unusual punishment," a death sentence is not permission to inflict unnecessary pain or suffering.

Based on his latest IQ test results, murder suspect Lewis "Buck" Ballard may not be eligible for the death penalty. According to documents filed in Bourbon Circuit Court, Ballard scored a total IQ of 66 on the latest test earlier this summer. Ballard's attorneys said the score is from the most up-to-date test available, and one that had been revised since Ballard's intelligence was last tested approximately six months ago. Ballard is facing the death penalty for the 2007 death of Winchester student Wesley Mullins in Paris.

STANFORD - Commonwealth's Attorney Eddy Montgomery has filed notice he intends to seek the death penalty against Jamarkos Campbell for the 2002 murders of Ryan Shangraw and Bo Upton. But Montgomery said Tuesday that the law won't allow him to go after the death penalty in Campbell's case because he was 17 and a juvenile when the crimes were committed. By filing the motion to seek the death penalty, however, it allows the prosecutor to go after the maximum sentence allowed under the law for juveniles.

Double murder suspect Lillie Stanton may be facing the death penalty for the murders of her daughter and granddaughter last spring. Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith is considering whether to pursue capital punishment in Stanton's case, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Heidi Engel said. That decision could come by March 14, when Stanton is due back in court for a pre-trial conference. Stanton, 48, of 233 Vaught Road, is facing two counts of murder in the deaths of her 23-year-old daughter Danel Korrey Stanton and her 22-month-old granddaughter Kaydence Ray Miers on May 20. According to police, she admitted in two interviews that she killed them both rather than face the possibility that the child's father would gain more visitation time during a final custody hearing in family court.

HARRODSBURG - Its been nearly two years since John “Bud” Dacci was gunned down inside his Herrington Lake home, and a trial date for the man accused in his murder was further delayed Tuesday when a new attorney was assigned to the case. Lexington attorney Tom Griffiths was named lead attorney for James Michael Kelley, replacing local public defender Susanne McCollough, who had represented Kelley since Dacci's murder in December 2010. The move comes after Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms filed a “notice of aggravators” last month in Mercer Circuit Court, allowing him to seek the death penalty against Kelley if convicted.

HARRODSBURG - With a legal challenge cleared, the murder case against James Michael Kelley is moving forward as a capital case. Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms filed “a notice of aggravators” last week that will allow him to seek the death penalty against Kelley if the suspect is convicted of the 2010 murder of John “Bud” Dacci. “At this point, we want all options on the table, including the death penalty,” Bottoms said Wednesday. In the notice, Bottoms states he intends to prove Kelley is guilty of first-degree burglary and may prove first-degree robbery, aggravating factors needed to increase murder from a Class A felony to a capital charge.

A judge is mulling a motion that could exclude the death penalty from one of the suspects in a fatal home invasion in December. Another pending motion seeks to have the trials of Percy Hargrove III¿and his ex-girlfriend Sheena Tipton split, so they would be tried separately for their alleged roles in the killing of Andrew David Ingram near his Winchester home on Dec. 14, 2011. Hargrove, 26, of Georgetown, is charged with murder and first-degree burglary for allegedly forcing his way into Ingram's home on Whitney Court and then shooting him behind a neighboring home.

For the second time in a week, prosecutors announced they would be seeking the death penalty in a Clark County homicide. On Thursday, 30-year-old Aaron Lewis and his attorneys were notified of the change in his case, which stems from a May 2011 home invasion on Redwing Drive. Lewis, of Lexington, is facing murder and first-degree burglary charges from the May 23, 2011 shooting death of Philip Howard Jr. inside his home. Clark Circuit Judge William Clouse also reserved the entire month of April 2013 for Lewis' trial, which will begin on April 1. In Kentucky, prosecutors are allowed to seek the death penalty if a homicide occurred during the commission of another violent crime such as first-degree arson, first-degree robbery, first-degree rape and murder.

Prosecutors will pursue the death penalty against a Georgetown man and his ex-girlfriend for a December home invasion and homicide of Andrew David Ingram. Though the formal paperwork has not been finalized, Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith has decided to pursue it against suspects Percy Hargrove, 26, of Georgetown, and Sheena Tipton, 26, of Clay City. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Johnson told their attorneys and the judge Thursday in Clark Circuit Court. Kentucky law allows for the death penalty in cases where a death occurred during the commission of another crime.

Charles Witt's column last Tuesday calls for response from a scientist Don't you find it strange that the marvelous scientific discoveries made by Isaac Newton (the relation between Force, Mass and Acceleration, the Law of Gravity, his analysis of the nature of light) are part of the foundation of modern physics and yet he did not believe in evolution, but in a Creator who arranged these things in an established order, waiting for a scientist to discover them? If he were to express his faith here today, the evolutionists would declare him to be un-scientific.

Prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty against the only survivor from a 2011 home invasion that left two people dead. Aaron Lewis, 25, of Lexington, has been incarcerated for nearly a year for allegedly breaking into a duplex on Redwing Drive. Resident Phillip Howard Jr. was killed in the process. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Johnson said in Clark Circuit Court Friday that the final decision would be made by Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith, and the process of setting a trial date would follow.

Stephen Bright has traveled a long way to wage a legal opposition against capital punishment, but Tuesday night one of the death penalty's most ardent opponents was arguing his case at home. Bright, a native son of Boyle County, was at Danville city hall to address members of the group Citizens Concerned for Human Relations, as well as an audience of interested residents that included a multitude of his family members. The president of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, a group he led as director for more than two decades, gave the crowd a history lesson of what he said are iniquities in imposition of the modern death penalty in America since statutes were upheld in several states in 1976.

HARRODSBURG - Meagan Brooks accepted a plea deal from prosecutors Tuesday, pleading guilty to second-degree man-slaughter in the smothering death of her mother, Debora Brooks. She is expected to receive a 17-year prison sentence. Co-defendant Paul Estes, however, rejected his offer Tuesday and now could face the death penalty if his case goes to trial. Brooks, 24, and Estes, 36, were charged with murder in the May 2009 death of Debora Brooks, who was found with a plastic bag over her head inside her Mercer County home after Meagan Brooks called 911. Police initially ruled the elder Brooks' death a suicide but later determined that the pair plotted to kill Debora Brooks to cash in on her insurance policies.