Brewer pleads in 2020 murder

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·2 min read

Mar. 29—The man charged with the murder of a Lexington man found in Levi Jackson Park in 2020 entered a guilty plea in Laurel Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Edward Dale Brewer, 44, of West Louden Avenue in Lexington, KY, was recommended to serve 17 years in prison on an amended charge of first-degree manslaughter in the death of James Mays. Sentencing is set for April 24.

Commonwealth Attorney Jackie Steele said he was pleased to settle the case.

"We're happy that the family of the victim finally got some closure in this case," he said. "Unfortunately this took a while to complete, due to COVID and the backup in the state forensic lab with getting test results back. Even though he was from Lexington, he had family members close by that have been involved in the case throughout."

Steele added that under Kentucky statutes, Brewer will have to serve 85% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will receive credit for the time already served until the case was resolved.

The discovery of a deceased male on the trail near the park amphitheater on July 2, 2020 sparked an investigation into the identity of the man, James Mays of Lexington. Mays' throat had been slashed and his body was found by campers in the park area.

The investigation linked Brewer to Mays and law enforcement officials apprehended him two days later and he was charged with Mays' murder. Brewer was indicted in October 2020 and held under $500,000 cash bond in the Laurel County Correctional Center.

Brewer was set for a jury trial on Tuesday morning but sidestepped that process by entering into a plea agreement with the Commonwealth Attorney's office. Steele said his office received notification on Friday that Brewer intended to plead guilty to the manslaughter charge.

That plea agreement reduced Brewer's potential prison time from murder, which carries a penalty of 20 to 50 years, or life, to a 10 to 20 year penalty for first-degree manslaughter.