Court record reveals new details about Lexington parking garage homicide
Video recorded the death of a 31-year-old man as he was beaten in a downtown Lexington parking garage, according to court documents.
Benjamin Call, 39, of Pomeroy, Ohio, repeatedly struck John Tyler “Ty” Abner with his hands and feet Monday night until he killed Abner at the Victorian Square Parking Garage on West Short Street, according to an arrest citation filed in court.
In addition to the surveillance video that recorded the homicide, Call provided statements that corroborated the charge of murder, police said in the arrest citation. In addition, a responding officer saw the assault, police said previously.
Call was immediately detained, police said. Officers provided first aid to Abner before he was pronounced dead at approximately 11 p.m., just over an hour after a disorder was reported at the parking garage.
Abner suffered “blunt-trauma” injuries from the assault, according to the Fayette County coroner.
No weapons were found on scene, police said.
Abner is Lexington’s 31st homicide victim of 2021.
Call was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center and charged with murder. He’s being held on a $750,000 bond.
Abner worked at Pies & Pints, a local pizzeria on Main Street, according to his and other Facebook posts. An employee at the restaurant told LEX18 Abner and Call had just met that day and “seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.”
Abner had just completed a shift prior to the assault.
The restaurant is only a couple of blocks away from the parking garage where the assault took place.
“We never had a dull moment. I trusted him completely. He was my best friend,” said Randall Morton, the general manager of Pies & Pints, in a Facebook post.
‘You did not deserve this.’ Friends react to death of man beaten in Lexington garage
Victim’s name released. Man faces murder charge after Lexington garage assault
