The Fayette Circuit Court in Lexington, Ky., photographed on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.
Three people were sentenced in September for separate homicides in Lexington as their cases moved through Fayette County courts.
In one, a Lexington man pleaded guilty to the shooting death of a 16-year-old in a park, and in another case, a man was sentenced for a 2024 death of a 3-month-old.
Here are court updates on cases previously covered by the Herald-Leader.
Man sentenced for 3-month-old’s death
Amancio Torres-Trevino, 22, was sentenced Sept. 10 for amended charges of murder — domestic violence and second-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12.
Trevino was sentenced to serve 34 years in prison for the death of his 3-month-old son, Greyson Torres.
Trevino was charged in December 2024 with murder and first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12 along side Kaela Walker. Walker’s case is still pending, online court documents show.
An obituary for the infant says he was the couple’s son.
Police initially charged the two with abuse after officers went to a Lexington hospital in late September to investigate a report of a baby with life-threatening injuries, according to a news release.
Lexington Police Department Officer Franklin Epley said in a citation that Torres-Trevino was alone with the child when he was injured.
The citation also said another person, who was not named, had seen Torres-Trevino abusing the child at their residence “multiple times” in the month before the baby was taken to the hospital.
The baby had injuries to his head and torso and internal injuries, the citation said. An arrest citation for Walker said she witnessed the abuse of the baby but didn’t report it to police or social workers.
Torres-Trevino pleaded guilty to the amended charge in April.
Man sentenced for shooting death in Lexington park
A Lexington man who shot and killed a 16-year-old at a park was sentenced on an amended charge.
Stewart Watson, 22, was sentenced to serve 10 years for a charge of first-degree manslaughter, according to court records.
Watson pleaded guilty July 29. He was originally charged with murder and robbery. The robbery charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal, court records show.
The original incident took place in May 2023, when Watson and two others were shot.
Watson killed Michael Stinnett, whom he and others followed into a park near Summerhill and Woodspring drives, according to Lexington homicide detective Josh Phillips.
Phillips testified previously in a preliminary hearing that Watson and friends walked into the park following behind Stinnett and a group he was in.
Watson was wearing a black ski mask when the incident took place, Phillips said. Watson and Stinnett, 16, engaged in conversation and Watson asked Stinnett to see his firearm, which was inside his waistband, according to court testimony.
Watson approached Stinnett, placed his gun on his chest and reached for Stinnett’s gun. An altercation ensued and Watson shot Stinnett. Court documents say Stinnett returned fire and Watson was shot. Watson was not able to flee the scene due to his injuries, and was present when cops arrived. Another 19-year-old was shot in the exchange.
Shooting ‘bystander’ convicted of murder at trial sentenced
A man recently convicted of murder in a September 2022 shooting that left another man dead at a local apartment complex has been sentenced.
Jonathan Lockhart, 41, was convicted of murder in the killing of 51-year-old Raymond Brooks in the 1700 block of Jennifer Road.
Lockhart’s trial was held at the end of June where a jury him found guilty of murder, convicted felon in possession of a handgun and second-degree persistent felony offender.
He was sentenced Sept. 17 to serve 50 years in prison. He is ordered to pay $2,850 of restitution to Crime Stoppers and $4,895 to the Office of Claims and Appeals Crime Compensation Board, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said during opening statements that Lockhart was a bystander to a nearby fight between other people when he suddenly pulled out a gun and fatally shot Brooks, also a bystander.
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.
Source: www.kentucky.com
