We all know that most prison inmates will be released sooner or later and will return to the communities in which they committed the crime for which they were incarcerated.
 
We all hope that, when they are released, they will have learned their lesson and become contributing members of our communities.  Unfortunately, the statistics tell a different story:

We wanted to do better than that in Lexington.  In July, 2005, our office partnered with the Division of Probation & Parole to create the Fayette County Re-Entry Program. Every other Tuesday at 8:30 AM, offenders, both those on probation and parole who are supervised by the Division of Probation and Parole, assemble at the Fayette County Courthouse.  There they meet with representatives of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the Lexington Division of Police, the Division of Probation & Parole, the Hope Center, local charities, and vocational rehabilitation. They are told of various services available to assist them with substance abuse, employment, education, and job training.  They are also advised of the community's expectations of law-abiding behavior, because we all want past offenders to become good neighbors no matter where they live.
 
In almost three years, the program is achieving outstanding success. Almost 1,500 offenders have participated, and less than 18% have been returned to custody.

 

Susan Bryson Speckert

Susan Bryson Speckert is a native of Bradenton, Florida, and relocated to Lexington after living in New Orleans, Louisiana for seventeen years.  She graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature in 1991 and earned her Master's Degree in Literature from the Louisiana State University.

 

During college and graduate school, Susan volunteered with rape crisis and battered women's programs in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Prior to entering law school, she worked at a battered women's shelter and was the Diretor of the Women's Center at the University of New Orleans where she coordinated violence against women prevention and education programs.

 

Susan earned her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law.  She previously worked

as a law clerk for the Hon. Eldon E. Fallon, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  She relocated to Lexington in July of 2005 and worked as an attorney with the firm of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC until she joined the staff of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in July of 2007.  Her areas of special interest are the prosecution of crimes involving domestic violence and sexual violence.

Officer Robert Terry

Lexington Police Officer Robert Terry has been temporarily assigned to the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for sixty days in order to assist in preparing felony cases for trial.   During this time he has worked diligently in locating victims and witnesses for upcoming trials, handled evidence, attended Task Force meetings and homicide case discussions, conducted numerous interviews and represented the police department at Re-Entry meetings.

 

Officer Terry has been a Lexington Police Officer since 2000 and serves as Vice President of the Lexington Public Safety Museum.  Recently, his focus has been to assist in the identification of gang members in the Lexington area.  He is currently assigned to Patrol and also serves as a training officer for new recruits.  He is always trying to improve the image of the Police Department by displaying professionalism and integrity and teaches new officers to do the same.

 

Thank you, Officer Terry, for working so hard these past two months. Your exceptional assistance has been appreciated!

What did this killer do to convince a jury to sentence him to death?