On the evening of April 20, 2023, gunshots echoed through the 400 block of Chestnut Street in Lexington, Kentucky, leaving two people with fatal injuries. When officers arrived just before 10 p.m., they discovered 43-year-old Timonte D. Harris, a Black male, and 32-year-old Lakeisha Hill suffering from gunshot wounds. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hill was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she later died.
The initial investigation led police
to arrest 37-year-old Corry Jackson in connection with the shooting. He was located just a block away from the scene, and a witness identified him as the shooter. Investigators worked under the theory that Harris had shot and killed Hill, and that Jackson had subsequently shot and killed Harris. Jackson was charged with murder, assault, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. However, during a preliminary hearing, Jackson's murder charge was amended to manslaughter. His defense attorney argued that the evidence was weak, pointing out that surveillance footage showed Jackson without a weapon shortly after the incident and that no firearm was found on him upon his arrest.
The case against Corry Jackson took a dramatic and unexpected turn during his trial. In a stunning confession from the witness stand, another man, Courtney Wrenn, admitted that he was the one who shot and killed Timonte Harris. Wrenn, who was 35 years old and dating Lakeisha Hill at the time, testified that Harris had made romantic advances toward Hill in the past. He claimed that on the night of the shooting, Harris shot both him and Hill. Wrenn stated that he then picked up Hill's gun and fired back at Harris in an act of self-defense and to protect Hill.
Wrenn's shocking testimony was supported by forensic evidence. An expert testified that DNA found on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Harris was a match to Courtney Wrenn, whose blood was also found inside the home where the shooting occurred. Following this confession and the presentation of evidence, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a verdict. They found Corry Jackson not guilty of the charges against him. Following the verdict, it remained unclear whether prosecutors would pursue charges against Courtney Wrenn for the death of Timonte Harris.
