‘I just killed two men.’ Suspect called 911 after shooting at Lexington library

A woman charged with the murder of two men in Lexington called 911 and confessed to the killings after bludgeoning one with a sledgehammer and shooting them both, according to police.

Deborah Weiss, 69, is charged with two counts of murder after police say she shot two men Aug. 2 outside the Northside branch of Lexington Public Library.

Investigators with the Lexington Police Department found Edward Parker, 52, and Ashim Heanacho, 71, dead around 3:30 a.m. at 1733 Russell Cave Road around 3:30 a.m.

Detective Jeremy Atkins testified Monday morning, during a preliminary hearing, that Weiss told police she “just killed two men,” when she called 911.

Surveillance footage from the library shows Weiss approached Parker and Heanacho as they were sleeping nearby, police said.

Weiss first struck Parker with a sledgehammer and then shot him, according to Atkins. She then approached Heanacho, who was sleeping in his Nissan sedan, and broke the back window with the sledgehammer before shooting him three times.

The 911 dispatcher instructed Weiss to lay her weapons on a bench. When police arrived, she was sitting down and told them again she had shot the men.

During her preliminary hearing Monday, Weiss was in a wheelchair because of a gunshot wound in her foot. She took notes during Atkins’ testimony.

Testimony revealed Weiss knew the two men had been in previous confrontations with her son.

Fayette District Judge Denotra Spurill Gunther found probable cause to send the case to a grand jury, which will determine if criminal charges will be applied.

Gunther lowered Weiss’ bond to $750,000 cash. Her original bond was set at $1 million, but Weiss’ attorney, Parker Mincy, asked that it be lowered since Weiss is homeless and considered indigent.

If she is able to post bond, Weiss will be placed on an ankle monitor and have her movements tracked, which Gunther said was “impossible,” because she is unhoused.

Mincy disagreed, and said there were plenty of places that could house Weiss if she were to post bond.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.