Lexington man sentenced to prison one year after deadly shooting
A Lexington man was sentenced to prison Friday for a deadly shooting, just over a year after the incident happened.
DeMonte Cowan, 45, accepted a guilty plea deal in May to charges of second-degree manslaughter, wanton endangerment and possessing a handgun as a convicted felon, according to court documents. Fayette Circuit Judge Diane Minnifield sentenced Cowan to 10 years for manslaughter and one year each for the wanton endangerment and gun possession charges.
Minnifield set those sentences to run consecutively, giving Cowan 12 years in prison. In court Friday, Minnifield said she hopes Cowan is able to make positive change after he’s served his time, referencing his interests and telling to “do something positive.”
“Like I said, you like to fish. In my mind that says you like the opportunity to sit and meditate and to think,” Minnifield said after sentencing Cowan to prison. “Let’s figure out some way when you get out that you’re going to do something positive on that side of your life.”
Cowan was originally charged with murder related to the death of 54-year-old Randy Wise. He underwent felony mediation and decided to plead guilty via an “Alford plea,” which is when the defendant still denies committing the crime but admits there is enough evidence to convict them in a trial.
Wise was found unresponsive inside a crashed vehicle with a gunshot wound on the 900 block of Charles Avenue on the evening on June 19, 2022, according to police. Wise was declared dead on scene.
Cowan was arrested less than two months after the fatal shooting. Police said an anonymous tip through Bluegrass Crime Stoppers led to the arrest.
