A 33-year-old mother in Kentucky might spend the rest of her life in prison for killing her two sons last year by shooting them both in the head inside their family home. She later claimed that Facebook had tricked her into carrying out the heinous deed.
Judge Rodney D. Burress of the Bullitt Circuit Court sentenced Tiffanie Lucas to two life terms on Friday, one for the murders of Jayden Howard, age nine, and Maurice Peanut Baker Jr., age six.
Several family members gave victim impact statements to the court before Burress imposed the punishment.
According to Louisville, Kentucky NBC affiliate WAVE, Maurice Baker Sr. testified in court that Lucas had kept his son above him from the moment Maurice Jr. was born, regardless of how much he pleaded to be with the boy.
“He missed so many birthdays,” Baker added. She never allowed him to attend the party I had arranged. I pleaded with her. I asked her if I could just talk to my son the last time I texted her. She disregarded me.
Baker allegedly looked straight at Lucas after stating that he had tried several times to obtain custody of his son, telling her, “You know what you are.”
Jayden’s grandma, Regina Rowan, spoke to the court as well. According to Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY, she also made use of her time on the stand to address Lucas directly.
You are aware that you have always had a spot to drop off the shards of my broken heart. I lost him to you. Rowan told the convicted murderer, “And I hurt every day, every second of the day.” I want you to go through what I’m going through.
Lucas’ defense lawyer allegedly played a footage from a neighbor’s doorbell camera to illustrate her declining mental health at the time.
I must surround myself with nice people. I need my family. In the video taken the day before the killings, she is heard saying, “I need help.”
Before formally delivering the punishment, Burress also gave a brief speech.
I cannot imagine the sheer horror these children must have experienced seeing their mother with a gun, he said in footage provided by WLKY. The sheer horror that second child had as he heard the discharge of that weapon for the first child. And maybe even both of them seeing their mother pull the trigger, taking their lives.
Lucas will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 20 years, but prosecutorstoldLouisville Fox affiliate WDRB that the chances of her being released after only two decades are slim to none.
As Law&Crimepreviouslyreported, Lucas was accused of firing four shots in 30 seconds, claiming the shooting was an accident, and stating that she was manipulated through Facebook, through the internet or through Wi-Fi [ ] into doing what she did.
The Bullitt County Sheriff s Officesaidthat a neighboring husband and wife saw Lucas lying down in their driveway on the morning of the slayings and the man called 911 after discovering the shocking scene inside the suspect s home. Lucas had allegedly told the neighbors her kids were dying.
After Lucas arrest, a detective testified that she said I m in such a bad spot when she was questioned about the crimes, said I m so stupid, and claimed she would never do anything like this unless someone manipulated me.
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