Man sentenced for 2024 fatal shooting, plus other Fayette County court updates
Three cases involving Central Kentucky homicides moved through the court system in August as defendants were sentenced or pleaded guilty to their crimes.
Developments included a Lexington man convicted for the death of a 24-year-old father in 2024, and a man who pleaded guilty for his part in a child’s fatal overdose in August 2023. Here are updates on court cases previously covered by the Herald-Leader.
Lexington, KY man sentenced for lesser charge in 2024 homicide
A Lexington man was sentenced for amended charges related to a 2024 shooting that killed a 24-year-old father.
Luis Ramos, 30, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a charge of second-degree manslaughter Aug. 21. He was originally charged with the murder of Daquan Collins.
On Aug. 20, 2024, the Lexington Police Department were called to the 900 block of Delaware Avenue for reports of shots fired — one from Ramos himself — who claimed he shot Collins in self-defense. Ramos told the police Collins threatened him with a gun before he shot him.
Ramos was at the home to check on Collins’ three children who were left alone, he told police previously. The children’s ages were 1 month, 1 year and 3 years old.
LPD Detective Greg George testified previously that the mother of the children, Julia Winburn, was away at work when she discovered Collins had left them alone.
Ramos went to check on the children with his then-girlfriend, who he told to lock the doors as Collins attempted to break in.
Collins and Ramos went to the driveway, where Ramos is accused of shooting Collins three times.
George testified there was home video surveillance footage which captured the shooting and showed Collins did not appear to be running toward his vehicle. Collins was unarmed during the incident, according George’s testimony.
No firearm was found inside Collins’ car. A search warrant was executed on Ramos’ vehicle, where a handgun was found loaded with hollow-point ammunition. No other witnesses’ statements corroborated Ramos’ claim.
Mother sentenced to amended charges for her baby’s death
A set of parents have been sentenced to limited jail time for their involvement in the death of their child.
Rahar Rai, 31, and Chendra Magar, 34, of Lexington, were charged with manslaughter and child abuse in March 2024 — nearly a year after their child was found dead at a Centre Parkway apartment with deep bite marks on his face and extremities that were at different stages of healing.
Rai was sentenced to two years in prison Aug. 5. She entered an Alford plea to amended charges of reckless homicide and third-degree child abuse.
Magar, the child’s father, was sentenced June 3 for two amended charges of third-degree child abuse. He also entered an Alford plea in May.
Defendants who enter an Alford plea do not admit guilt but acknowledge there is enough evidence to convict them.
An autopsy revealed the baby had several internal injuries, including bleeding and bruising, that were at different stages of healing, according to court documents.
Rai admitted to seeing the infant’s 4-year-old sibling abuse the baby one week before he died, according to the documents.
Her arrest citation said she did not seek medical attention for the baby. Magar told authorities he did not notice the infant’s injuries, according to his arrest citation.
Three plead guilty to infant’s fatal overdose
Three suspects have pleaded guilty in connection to a 4-year-old’s death from a fentanyl overdose.
On Aug. 18, Anderson George, 34, Briana Turpin, 28, and Raven Houston, 20, all pleaded guilty to a range of amended charges.
The three were originally charged with second-degree manslaughter, trafficking fentanyl and two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, according to court documents. George and Turpin were also indicted on a charge of tampering with physical evidence.
Lexington police say the child died Feb. 26, 2023, at a local hospital.
George, Turpin and Houston were identified as suspects during the investigation, and detectives found evidence of drug trafficking at a residence on Bracktown Road.
George was pulled over for a traffic stop on I-75 at the request of a detective. Police searched the vehicle because they could smell marijuana, and they found approximately 100 grams of suspected fentanyl in the air filter box of the engine compartment, plus roughly 500 grams of cutting agents known to be paraphernalia, according to court documents.
He pleaded guilty to complicity to wanton endangerment and complicity to tamper with physical evidence. Charges of trafficking fentanyl and two counts of complicity to wanton endangerment will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. He faces 10 years in prison.
Turpin pleaded guilty to first-degree complicity to wanton endangerment, complicity to traffic fentanyl and complicity to tamper with evidence. An additional charge of complicity to wanton endangerment will be dismissed. She faces seven years in prison.
Houston pleaded guilty to trafficking a controlled substance - drug unspecified. Her initial charges of second-degree complicity to manslaughter and two counts of complicity to wanton endangerment will be dismissed.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 10.
