Lexington had a record-breaking 30 homicides in 2019, but police say the killings weren’t random.
High-risk behaviors and drug-related activities have contributed to the violence, Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said in a December interview.
“Lexington is a safe city, and unless you’re involved in some of the circumstances that we see some of these people involved in, the chances of you being a homicide victim are very low,” Weathers said.
On Jan. 2, police released information about the 29th homicide of the year. Investigators didn’t learn about the death of Donald Foster, 57, of Lexington, until Dec. 31, according to police. An 18-year-old and 19-year-old were arrested and charged in connection with Foster’s death, which is thought to have happened on Dec. 29.
The previous record was 28, set in 2017.
As police continue to investigate homicides and the behaviors that have contributed to violence, they hope that more witnesses and residents will come to them with information.
“One of the things that’s bothering us or that causes us issues is when people don’t want to come forward,” Weathers said. “And there may be many reasons why they may not want to do that. But the bottom line is if you don’t tell us what’s happening, we can’t prevent it from happening again.”
With witness information, investigators can corroborate physical evidence as they work toward charging suspects, Weathers said. Information can be submitted anonymously to help detectives pinpoint what has happened in a case.
In at least one of Lexington’s 2019 homicides, people heard shots but did not report them. In that case, the victims were not found until the following day.
“If you stay quiet, I think that emboldens people, to go ahead and commit further crimes,” Weathers said. “We’d like to see people take an active interest in making their community safer, and reporting those criminal activities that they think are going on. Don’t necessarily wait for them to hear shots fired, if they see something strange or suspicious they need to say something.”
Eleven of the homicide cases in 2019 are still open.
Especially in homicide cases, it is important for investigators to be thorough in gathering evidence, Weathers said.
“The work is continuous,” Weathers said. “Television kind of makes it seem like if we gather evidence and send it off to the lab, we get it back the next day. That’s not the case. Sometimes it can be months, sometimes up to a year or a year and a half before we get that back.”
In many violent cases, drug activity has been a factor, Weathers said. While the general amount of drug activity does not seem to be on the rise, a shift in culture in those circles could be contributing to the violence, he said.
In a portion of the 2019 cases, people involved were from out of state or had ties to other states. While Weathers said he does not believe there has been an uptick in people coming to Lexington for criminal activity, he acknowledges that that kind of behavior “ebbs and flows.”
“Lexington is a unique city,” Weathers said. “We’ve got I-64 going east to west, and I-75 going north to south and they intersect right here in the city. When you’re talking about places like Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, those are six hours away ... so we’re going to get people coming in here.”
Police have not seen a large number of people from those areas bringing drugs to Lexington, but some do, Weathers said.
Gang activity has not been a factor in the number of homicides in 2019, Weathers said.
While some people involved in Lexington violence may have had or continue to have some affiliation with a gang, the violence was not motivated by gangs or in the service of gangs, Weathers said. As a result, investigators focus on individuals and their “propensity to commit crime,” he said.
“We try to do a holistic approach and we use our neighborhood resource officers to get out there and make contacts in the community,” Weathers said.
In Lexington’s neighborhoods, police work to make the communities more “self-sufficient” by bringing resources to people there, Weathers said. If a community is on board with keeping the public safe, crime goes down in that area, he said.
“Our crime overall is down, and we have to look at that,” Weathers said. “We may be inching up in other areas. We have to look at it overall, and I think our being involved and being in contact with the community helps that.”
As of late December, there had been about 110 shootings in the city, which was a 39 percent increase, Weathers said. Out of the shootings, 41 victims were cooperative with police, he said. Out of those 41, police were able to solve 85 percent of the cases.
“That shows you right there that people need to start talking to the police,” Weathers said. “Whatever reason you might be afraid, I can tell you right now, if you don’t talk to us that’s not going to stop it. That’s not going to make it go down. What makes it go down is if people know that if they’re going to be involved in these kinds of activities or behaviors, they’re going to get caught.”
Police in make an extra effort to connect with residents, Weathers said.
“We’re here for everybody,” Weathers said. “I don’t care if you’re out there committing crimes, non-violent crimes or selling drugs, nobody has a right to hurt you.”
Of the homicide victims in 2019, the average age was about 30 years old. The first homicide happened on Jan. 16, and the last happened on Christmas day.
Demetrius Gordon, 28
On Jan. 16, firefighters were called to a garage fire at Gordon’s home on Radcliffe Road. Inside the burning garage, they found Gordon’s body. Fire investigators discovered that the fire had “multiple points of origin” and was suspicious.
Christina Faye Young, 23, of Sharpsburg, Ky., is charged with murder, second-degree arson and evidence tampering. Young had previously been in a romantic relationship with Gordon, according to police.
Young’s case is awaiting trial and she is being held in the Fayette County jail without the option of posting bail, according to court records.
Alisa Reed, 17
On Jan. 17, Reed was found shot at an apartment on Palumbo Drive. Investigators believed that multiple teenagers were in the apartment at the time of the shooting.
As the investigation progressed, police identified a 17-year-old as a suspect in the case, but the suspect died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound in June before charges could be filed, said Brenna Angel, a police department spokeswoman.
Reed was a senior at Frederick Douglass High School. After her death, her classmates performed “random acts of kindness” for two weeks in her memory.
Iesha Edwards, 27
On Jan. 26, police were called to The Fox Club on Winchester Road for a report of a “large disorder.” Arriving officers found several people fighting in the parking lot of the club and Edwards wounded.
Edwards died at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital less than an hour after the shooting, according to the coroner.
Investigators learned that a fight had broken out between several men and women inside the club and that the fight had moved outside just before shots were fired, according to police.
Gaige Phillips, 30, was also arrested in Detroit and charged with criminal facilitation of murder. He’s accused of helping Ragland kill Edwards, according to court records.
Ragland and Phillips are being held in the Fayette County jail as they await trial.
James N. Terry, 68
On March 11, a man opened fire in Uncle 7’s Bourbon Bar & Grill on Delzan Place, injuring two and causing others to dive for cover, according to police.
Terry died at UK Hospital the day after the shooting, according to the coroner. The other injured victim survived.
Walters posted a $75,000 bond and was released under the conditions that he not contact victims or witnesses in the case; not use drugs or alcohol; or not go back to Uncle 7’s, according to court records. He isn’t allowed to possess weapons. He is awaiting trial.
William Michael Haskins, 42
Haskins was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds near Green Acres Park on the north side of Lexington on March 18, according to the coroner.
Officers were summoned when people heard shots being fired, according to police. Haskins’ body was found between two homes on a trail near Kirk Court. Shell casings were found near his body.
The case remains open and no arrests have been made.
Smith is being held in the Fayette County jail as he awaits trial.
Aaron Coney, 24
On April 14, Coney was shot four times in the kitchen of an apartment at Coolavin Apartments on West Sixth Street, according to police.
Damarcus D. Jones, 26, was charged with murder and possession of a handgun by a felon, according to court records.
Jones was invited to a cookout at the Coolavin Apartments on the night of the shooting, a police detective testified in a hearing in May. A fight broke out between Jones and Coney, and Jones left before returning with a black handgun, the detective said.
Coney died at UK Hospital, according to the coroner’s office. Coney was a father and worked for Amazon, according to his Facebook page.
Jones is being held in the Fayette County jail as he awaits trial.
David Kelm, 46
On April 23, police were called to a house in the 500 block of Skyview Lane in the Masterson Station neighborhood after a shooting. Kelm was found wounded and was taken to UK Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Lexington police investigated a double homicide on Race Street, where Heather Grigsby and Shannon Goodwin were found dead of gunshot wounds inside a car. Ryan Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com
Quatrell Kimble, 22
On July 2, Kimble was shot multiple times at the Coolavin Apartments on West Sixth Street. An officer with the mounted police unit, which is housed in a nearby stable, heard the shots and found Kimble, according to police.
David Williams, 32, was charged with murder, evidence tampering and trafficking cocaine, according to police. Williams’ girlfriend, Tyreshe Monique Webb, 24, was accused of helping him get away after the shooting and charged with hindering apprehension, according to police and court records.
Williams and Webb are being held in the Fayette County jail as they await trial.
Earl Parvin, 42
On July 11, police responded to a report of a person down on Ballpark Drive, near the Whitaker Bank Ballpark. Officers found the body of a man who had died from a gunshot wound in the road, according to police.
The man was identified by the coroner as Earl Parvin, 42, of Lexington.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made in the case.
LaPorscha Stringer, 30
On Aug. 23, Stringer was shot while driving out of the Fayette Mall parking lot. She was at the exit onto Nicholasville Road near Wilson Downing Road when someone in another vehicle fired at her, police said.
Stringer died at UK Hospital two days after the shooting, according to the coroner’s office. She lived in Nicholasville and had three children, friends said.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Nathaniel Shelby, 19
On Sept. 3, police found Shelby with a gunshot wound after they were called to a shooting at an apartment on East Reynolds Road.
Shelby died at UK Hospital, according to police.
Jah’Quez Crutchfield, 18, and Rafael Malik Brewster, 20, were both charged with murder and first-degree robbery and burglary in the case, according to police and court records. Moses Thompson, 18, faces charges of complicity to robbery and complicity to burglary. All three are from Georgetown.
The shooting happened after the three charged felt they had been “shorted” in a drug deal with Shelby, detective Brandon Gibbs testified at a court hearing.
Brewster and Thompson are being held in the Fayette County jail as they await trial. Crutchfield is being held in the Scott County jail on unrelated charges.
David Godbold, 56
Godbold was found dead on Sept. 14 in an apartment near the corner of Elm Tree Lane and Bernard Alley, according to the coroner’s office. It was determined that he had been stabbed, according to police.
At the time, police said detectives believed Godbold’s attacker may have also been injured.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Carroll Martin, 51
On Sept. 15, Martin was found on the street in the 700 block of Florence Avenue, according to police. He had multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to UK Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Jackson is being held in the Fayette County jail as he awaits trial.
Marquis D. Harris, 24 and Sharmaine Carter, 25
On Oct. 16, police got an anonymous call from someone saying that a relative had been shot, a detective testified at a recent court hearing. At the Crystal Gardens Apartments off Alexandria Drive, officers found Harris and Carter dead of gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
The two were thought to have died several hours prior to police being called.
Gaskin is being held in the Fayette County jail as he awaits trial.
The Fayette County coroner was called to the Crystal Gardens Apartments on Alexandria Drive, where two gunshot victims were found on Oct. 16, 2019. Ryan Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com
Slaughter and Webb died at UK Hospital and a third victim, also an 18-year-old man, survived, according to police.
As of Dec. 31, the case remains open and no arrests have been made.
Darius Bolden, 22
On Nov. 14, police were called to the 400 block of Hollow Creek Road for a shooting.
Investigators believe Bolden was a passenger in a car that was approached by 31-year-old Damarkus “Spice” Hill, who fired multiple shots, according to police. Bolden was struck, but the driver was uninjured and drove them to a home on Radcliffe Road while Hill fled on foot, according to police.
If the case against the juvenile suspect is moved to adult court, his name will be released.
Abed Kadah, 19
On Nov. 25, police were summoned to the 3500 block of Laredo Drive for a report of a person who was slumped over inside a vehicle. Officers found Kadah with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police.
Kadah, who was from Corona, Calif., died at UK Hospital, according to the coroner’s office.
A witness told police that a person fled from the vehicle after the shooting, but as of Dec. 31, the case remains open.
Another man who lived in the building, Terrence Fister, 58, was charged with murder, according to police. Fister’s son, who also lived in the building, told investigators that he saw Smith trying to get away from someone before being shot, detective Ross Collins testified during a court hearing. When Fister’s son came around the corner after the shot was fired, he saw Fister holding the gun, Collins said.
Wesley E. Carter Jr., 28
Carter was found on Nov. 22 outside an apartment complex in the 3700 block of Camelot Drive after someone flagged down officers, according to police.
Carter died at UK Hospital on Dec. 4, according to the coroner’s office.
Witnesses in the area heard a gunshot, but time may have elapsed between the shooting and when Carter was found, police said.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Damontrial D. Fulgham, 23
In the early morning hours of Dec. 10, two people were shot on Osage Court near Woodhill Drive. One of the victims, Fulgham, died at the scene and another was taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to police.
Jo’Qwan Jackson, 19, was charged with murder in connection with the shooting, according to police.
Jackson is being held in the Fayette County jail as he awaits trial.
Michael Coyle, 59
Coyle was assaulted on Dec. 14, but died on Jan. 1, according to police, which added to 2019’s homicide total. When police responded to the scene at a Bayou Court apartment building, they said they initially believed Coyle to be the aggressor in an altercation involving three men. He was charged with assault.
After Coyle died of his injuries, investigators determined that William Justus, 50, and Mervil Spencer Jr., 48, had intentionally attacked Coyle and caused his injuries, police said. They were both charged with murder.
Jonathan Meristil, 21
On Dec. 24, Meristil was pronounced dead at his home on Transylvania Park near the University of Kentucky campus, according to the coroner’s office.
Meristil, a Tates Creek High School graduate, was shot multiple times, according to police.
As of Dec. 24, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Police investigated the city’s 27th homicide of the year on Christmas Eve at apartments on Transylvania Park. Ryan Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com
Bertin Garcia-Jimenez, 23
On Christmas day, Jimenez was found dead of a gunshot wound at the Crystal Gardens Apartments on Alexandria Drive. It was the same apartment complex where Harris and Carter were found dead in October.
Information about the events leading up to Garcia-Jimenez’s death has not been released.
As of Dec. 31, the case remained open and no arrests had been made.
Donald Foster, 57
Lexington police received information on Dec. 31 that a man had been killed on Dec. 29 at an apartment on Augusta Court.
Investigators were also told that the body of the person killed had been taken to another county, according to police.
Officers searched the apartment where the death was thought to have occurred, and they found evidence that someone had suffered “significant traumatic injuries” there, according to police.
Lexington investigators worked with police in Springfield and found Foster’s body in Washington County, according to police.
Anthony “Tony” Asay, 18, was charged with murder and evidence tampering, according to police. Asay’s roommate, 19-year-old Dillon Stewart, was charged with evidence tampering.
Stewart is accused of helping Asay dispose of Foster’s body, according to police.
Anyone with information about any of the homicide cases under investigation in Lexington is asked to call police at 859-258-3600.
Anonymous tips, including photos and videos, can be submitted by texting LEXPD plus the tip to 274637. Information can also be sent anonymously through Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at 859-253-2020 or Bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
This story was originally published January 1, 2020 at 1:49 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include an additional homicide in 2019. The victim died in 2020 as a result of a 2019 altercation.
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