Man sentenced for fatal downtown Lexington shooting, plus other court updates
The court cases stemming from several deadly incidents in Central Kentucky have ended with guilty pleas this month, while other major criminal cases are still pending.
This month’s recent court developments include a man sentenced to prison time for a deadly shooting in downtown Lexington, plus progress in the case of a man charged with the murder of an 80-year-old Lexington resident.
Here are some updates for Lexington court cases covered by the Herald-Leader.
Cynthiana man pleads guilty in fatal crash
A Cynthiana man arrested in February has pleaded guilty to a fatal car crash that took place three years ago.
Matthew Sumpter, 42, was indicted in January for second-degree manslaughter. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 13 and faces 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, Sumpter “wantonly caused the death of Michelle Beckett” on July 3, 2020. Beckett was 38 at the time of her death. Sumpter is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 15.
1 of 2 suspects pleads guilty in woman’s death
One co-defendant arrested in connection with the death of a 56-year-old woman in Lexington’s Masterson Station subdivision has pleaded guilty, and faces 26 years in prison.
Dalton Clay Carpenter, 22, of Paris, waived further proceedings in his case and pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with physical evidence, theft by unlawful taking and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Carpenter and former girlfriend Jessica Hoskins were charged in the death of Sabel Jallow, who was found in her Majestic View Walk home in September 2020, according to Lexington police. Hoskins, also 22, was charged with vehicle theft. Her case is still pending, according to court records.
Investigators believe Hoskins and Carpenter were in a fight with Jallow when Carpenter caused “traumatic injuries” to Jallow, killing her, according to the Lexington Police Department. Jallow was Hoskins’ contracted guardian, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Carpenter is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 7.
Lexington murder suspect enters Alford plea, faces new case
A man charged with murder in the 2020 death of 63-year-old Robert Clay has entered an Alford plea, dismissing all but one charge in his case. As part of his plea deal, his murder charge was reduced to manslaughter.
Quentin Lee Love, 35, had originally been charged with murder, possessing a handgun as a convicted felon, first-degree wanton endangerment, and second-degree persistent felony offender after allegedly shooting Robert Clay in 2020.
Defendants who enter an Alford plea maintain they are innocent, but acknowledge there is enough evidence to convict them in a trial.
He entered the plea on Oct. 10. All his charges, except for the manslaughter charge, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. He faces a total of 12 years in prison for this charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1.
Love faces new charges of sodomy, assault, and strangulation for acts he allegedly committed against other inmates inside the Fayette County Detention Center in 2022.
Man sentenced for deadly shooting that happened downtown
Raekwon Burse, a 22-year-old Lexington man, was sentenced to eight years in prison for an amended charge of second-degree manslaughter after he shot and killed Akeem Lyvers outside the 21C Hotel in downtown Lexington, according to his attorney Michael Goodwin.
He was charged with murder in the shooting death of Lyvers, 24, in November 2021. Burse was arrested a month after the incident. He pleaded guilty in September.
A week-long jury trial was scheduled to start Sept. 18, but Burse entered the guilty plea Aug. 21, according to court records.
In addition to murder, he faced charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, receiving a stolen gun, buying or possessing drug paraphernalia and trafficking in marijuana, cocaine, heroin and carfentanil or fentanyl derivatives, according to court documents. These charges were dismissed as part of the guilty plea.
Suspect in a shooting, stand-off sends case to grand jury
A Lexington man charged with the murder of 80-year-old Arliss Stewart will have his case presented to a Fayette County grand jury after he waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
A preliminary hearing is a district court proceeding where a defendant has a case presented to a judge who determines if there is enough evidence to send the matter to the grand jury. The hearing can serve as an opportunity for a defendant’s attorney to challenge testimony or evidence, but defendants are permitted to forgo the hearing if they prefer.
James Bradburn, 59, was arrested after he allegedly approached Stewart and shot a hole in the floor. A struggle ensued before Bradburn shot Stewart, according to an arrest citation.
Police said they responded to the home at roughly 7:43 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting with a victim. When officers arrived, Bradburn refused to leave the home at the 600 block of Marshall Lane.
