He killed twice in eight weeks, Lexington police say. 19-year-old charged in 2nd homicide

Already in jail on a murder charge, a 19-year-old has been charged with a second gun homicide, Lexington police said Friday.

Malik Rashawn Nelson of Lexington has been charged with murder in the shooting death of Mikel Willis, 19. Willis was found near a dumpster behind apartments Feb. 7 near East Sixth Street and Shropshire Avenue. Willis was one of three males, 19 and under, killed by gunfire in six hours. Suspects have been charged in the other two unrelated fatal shootings.

Willis, a Bryan Station High School graduate, died of multiple gunshot wounds, police said in February. He wanted to attend Bluegrass Community and Technical College, he told a judge after pleading guilty last year to receiving stolen property and carrying a concealed deadly weapon.

Nelson was in the Fayette County jail since May when he was charged with murder in the April shooting death of Christian Cubert, 21. Like Willis, Cubert was found outside. He was outside an apartment complex in the 2200 block of Devonport Drive.

Nelson was caught hiding in bushes in a back yard off Bryan Avenue about a month after the April killing. In addition to murder, he was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and a probation violation for a misdemeanor robbery.

Witnesses told police that Nelson was talking prior to the shooting about how Cubert snitched on him, according to court records.

Nelson was 18 years old at the time of both shootings.

Lexington police have arrested suspects in 12 of this year’s 21 homicides.

This story was originally published September 28, 2018 at 11:46 AM.