Taylor Six

234 people have died in Kentucky jails since 2020. Critics call it a ‘systemic failure’ The Herald-Leader analyzed 5 years of KY Department of Corrections death logs, lawsuits, autopsy reports and death certificates. Here’s what we found.

Both deaths were two of at least 12 deaths in the past 5 years in Madison County - which ranked 2nd highest for mortality rates in the state.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Suit: KY man was shocked about 40 times before dying of cardiac arrest The man was arrested for public intoxication and was in the jail for less than two hours before he went into cardiac arrest.

The 2nd lawsuit alleged jail officers used a Taser & electric glove on a man about 40x before he went into cardiac arrest.

The man was arrested for public intox., and in the jail less than 2 hrs before he went to the hospital, the lawsuit says.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Lawsuit filed against Kentucky jail on behalf of stillborn baby The lawsuit claims a woman went into labor early because of forced withdrawals when the jail did not supply her prescribed methadone.

2 wrongful death lawsuits were filed this month against the Madison Co. jail.

The 1st lawsuit was filed on behalf of a stillborn baby, listed as 'Babygirl Frymyer.'

Her mother went into labor after the jail denied her medication, the lawsuit says. 🧵

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Embattled Kentucky addiction treatment provider to be sold to Ethema Health ARC and Ethema Health signed an initial intent to sell on Wednesday. It is unclear how much Ethema paid.

One of Kentucky’s largest for-profit residential addiction care treatment providers, which has been the subject of an FBI investigation for more than a year, is being sold, administrators confirmed Wednesday.

New from @aacquisto.bsky.social & @taylorsixhl.bsky.social:

Herald-Leader chosen by ProPublica for Local Reporting Network partnership Reporter Alex Acquisto will spend the next year on a statewide investigative project that will have wide ramifications for Kentuckians.

Everybody clap for @aacquisto.bsky.social & @taylorsixhl.bsky.social!!

KY Supreme Court nullifies Lexington ban on no-knock warrants, citing state law Two of the court’s seven justices, Michelle Keller and Angela Bisig dissented in the ruling, issued Thursday morning.

Kentucky’s highest court has reversed Lexington’s ban on no-knock warrants, ruling that a city ordinance banning their use directly conflicts with state law.

The city has not officially commented on the ruling.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Fight heats up over proposed KY power line. Residents, Berea College oppose plan Opponents of the transmission line, including Berea College officials, say the project could harm the city’s drinking water.

Fight heats up over proposed KY power line. Residents, Berea College oppose plan

Some opponents believe the line could impact drinking water and the college forest
www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

DEA agents discover torture chamber, human bone, drugs in Kentucky home Authorities also found about 6,000 pills of suspected oxycodone and more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine during the search.

DEA agents discover torture chamber, human bone, drugs in KY home

Feds were executing a drug-related search warrant in Laurel Co. when they smelled an odor similar to a decaying corpse.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Very excited to be chosen as a 2025 Fellow for Journalism Law School at Loyola Marymount.

Next week, I will participate in classes to learn more about Constitutional Law, Civil Law, evidence and Criminal Law - to name a few.

lls.edu/JLSfellows

FBI claims to know who killed a federal witness in Lexington. No one’s been charged Federal prosecutors say they know who killed a witness in Lexington. But no charges have been filed.

The FBI say they know who killed a federal witness in a 2023 homicide.

No charges have been filed against them. Police and attorneys would not comment why.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

I used to self-medicate with alcohol. Photography helped me find a way through The positive reinforcement I got from the photos I took of my friends I made along my travels was the first I’d received without alcohol in a very long time,

So proud of this great piece by our friend and advisory board member @lucas-matt-marsh.bsky.social: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Crystal Rogers trial: Brooks Houck’s lawyers claim ‘tunnel vision’ to blame for charges The jury will begin deliberations Tuesday morning.

Jurors in the Brooks Houck trial went out for deliberations Tuesday morning. They heard all-day closing statements Monday.

Here's a recap of what attorneys said for their case:
www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Timeline: Court testimony paints picture of KY mom Crystal Rogers’ disappearance As the first week of a murder trial for Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson comes to an end, a timeline for the presumed final days of Crystal Rogers’ life, and the days after, has begun to materialize.

Here's a timeline from what we know based off testimony. This will be updated shortly to reflect new information.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Crystal Rogers trial: Witness says she overheard men discuss moving a body Heather Snellen, the former girlfriend of Steven Lawson, said she heard him and Joseph Lawson discuss moving a body.

Today is DAY 4 of the trial which has had it's share of new, explosive testimony.

Not only did a witness say she heard the Lawsons discuss moving a body, but cell phone forensics show Houck wasn't where he said he was the day of Rogers disapperance. 🧵

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

“If you look from a sinister view, you will get a sinister answer."

Brooks Houck's attorney says police based their case on "assumptions, guesses and theories," & faced media publicity/ pressure that rushed them to solve her case.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

KY family says waiting 15 years for murder trial is like ‘Groundhog Day’ Brian Gallagher was charged in 2010 for the death of 2-year-old Nathaniel Jones. He still has not faced a trial for the crime.

A Rowan Co. murder case spanning 15 yrs has had major changes in key players, prolonging it's resolution.

“You almost never talk to the same people twice. It’s like Groundhog Day — it’s a new day with new people, but the same case and same result.”

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

‘Targeted assassination’: Feds link unsolved Lexington killing to West End gang A judge ruled this month that a man should remain behind bars, based largely on his connection to a West End gang in Lexington called the Hot Boyz.

NEW: The unsolved killing of a federal witness 2 yrs ago in Lexington was a “targeted assassination” by a criminal street gang, according to new court docs.

The docs were released as part of detention order for a man based on his ties to a Lexington gang. www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Guilty verdict reinstated for Lexington father convicted of killing his son A Kentucky appeals court determined a judge abused her discretion when ordering a new trial for the convicted murderer.

ICYMI: A guilty verdict and proposed jury sentence of life-in-prison was reinstated for a Lexington father convicted of killing his son in 2018.

Previously, a judge ordered a retrial citing "prosecutorial misconduct." A court of appeals disagreed.
www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

The @journalistsrn.bsky.social now has a Slack channel! In here, other journos in recovery share:

⭐ Personal/professional victories

⭐ Information about upcoming events

⭐ Informal support for our peers

Email us at journalistsrecoverynetwork@gmail.com to request to join!

DOJ dismisses mandated reforms, lawsuit against Louisville police department The Department of Justice announced Wednesday it was ending a consent decree established in December 2024 with Louisville police.

NEW: Just 5 months after a consent decree was announced with the Louisville police, the feds announced it would be dismissed.

The consent decree and lawsuit aimed to reform the troubled LMPD - and was the result of a years-long investigation by the DOJ.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Judge rules lawsuit from Old National Bank victims can continue against gun seller A Jefferson Circuit judge said a federal law that protects gun manufacturers did not prevent them from being held liable in a lawsuit.

NEW: Jefferson Co. Judge Mitch Perry ruled Monday a federal law that grants broad immunity to gun manufacturers does not prohibit a lawsuit filed by victims in the Old National Bank shooting from proceeding in court.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Kentucky has had at least 18 severe weather emergencies since 2019. Here’s a recap The string of significant weather in recent years has left more than 150 people dead in Kentucky.

NEW: An analysis of emergency declarations shows Beshear has made more than three weather declarations per year since taking office, as severe weather has killed more than 150 people in Kentucky.

www.kentucky.com/news/weather...

Tornado confirmed in Russell County during KY storms. Assessments continue Surveyors continue assessments of Laurel County, which saw the heaviest damage and more than 15 fatalities.

NEW: A preliminary investigation of Saturday morning's tornado shows a possible EF-2 level of damage in Russell Co, according to the NWS.

Crews will continue to address damage in Laurel Co. Sunday and into Monday.

www.kentucky.com/news/weather...

The Nuns Trying to Save the Women on Texas’s Death Row Sisters from a convent outside Waco have repeatedly visited the prisoners—and even made them affiliates of their order. The story of a powerful spiritual alliance.

A deacon convinced nuns from a convent outside Waco to meet the women on Texas’s death row. They went “thinking we were going to minister to these women,” the sisters said, after their first visit. “And oh, my goodness, they ministered to us.”

If you are interested in joining, please contact us at journalistsrecoverynetwork@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Thank you for all the support and encouragement over the past year. We look forward to the rest of 2025 and beyond!

As many familiar with the JRN know, it launched as part of a Poynter project and announced on the last day of April, Alcohol Awareness Month.

To celebrate, we are hosting our 1st ever event for journalists in recovery today at 3 p.m. Here's what to expect:

Today, the @journalistsrn.bsky.social turns 1. It's an exciting milestone, as I never could have anticipated how much I would learn, & the impact we would have in a short year.

We've grown and aspire to continue that growth. But I am thankful for all the support thus far. 🧵

Brothers plead guilty to teen’s death, plus other Fayette Co. court updates Two brothers pleaded guilty to the death of 19-year-old Elaina Mammen who died in March 2022.

ICYMI: May is approaching fast, so here is the April courts and crime roundup of cases the Herald-Leader previously covered that had new developments.

www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Kentucky addiction specialists face uncertain future as federal health cuts loom The cuts could also affect the Purple Star Program supporting service members, staffing to 988 call centers and staffing to support youth drop-in centers.

Federal funding cuts pose a risk to KY programs & the "boots on the ground" intervention initiatives that help Kentuckians in active use.

I spoke with state & local partners about what the future holds.

www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Kentucky has worked hard to slow its addiction problems. Federal cuts threaten that progress. Important story from @taylorsixhl.bsky.social