Father of KY teen charged with killing 2 tried to burn evidence, testimony shows
The father of a Lexington teen facing two murder charges helped conceal evidence, including burning parts of a vehicle in which the teens were last seen and covering it with a tarp at a store he owns, according to court testimony Monday.
Jesus Eduardo Reyes-Rodriguez, 47, is charged with evidence tampering in the May 11 disappearance of Aoun Ismail Basboos, 15, and Ali Haider Naqvi, 16.
Ali was found dead May 17 about 6 1/2 miles from Reyes Rodriguez’s store, Lordale Market, on Russell Cave Road in Harrison County.
Aoun is still missing but presumed dead, according to Lexington police.
Reyes-Rodriguez’s 17-year-old son was charged with murder May 22 in Ali’s death, and he was charged Friday with a second count of murder in Aoun’s presumed death.
Court testimony during Reyes-Rodriguez’s hearing Monday morning in Lexington revealed he was the father of the teen charged with murder, and Lexington Police Department Detective Greg George testified Reyes-Rodriguez owns the convenience store and pool hall near where Ali’s body was found.
The teens were last seen getting into the back seat of a car May 11 in the 3300 block of Spangler Drive, and the detective testified that police later found the vehicle at Reyes-Rodriguez’s store. The car was covered with a tarp, and other vehicles were parked around it in an attempt to conceal it.
Seat belts were removed from the car, George testified, and it appeared to have been cleaned. A car seat had also been removed from the car.
Near the convenience store, detectives said they found a burn pit where Reyes-Rodriguez allegedly tried to burn the seat belts and car seats.
George said another vehicle, a truck belonging to Reyes-Rodriguez, was also found at the store and appeared to have been cleaned. Testing revealed evidence of blood in the truck bed. The FBI is testing the blood evidence to determine if it is human.
Phone evidence collected by investigators showed Reyes-Rodriguez and his son in communication and in the same area the night of the murder.
Fayette District Judge Denotra Gunther found probable cause to send Reyes-Rodriguez’s case to the grand jury.
Reyes-Rodriguez remains out on bond. His attorney, Dan Carman, declined to speak with media after the hearing.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 11:02 AM.
