Christopher Green, a 42-year-old Black man known for his love of life and dedication to his family, was a local business owner in Owensboro, Kentucky. For a decade, he had owned and operated Green Lawn Care. A father to two sons, he enjoyed traveling, mowing, and had recently taken up beekeeping. Friends and family remembered him as a loyal and family-oriented man who loved watching his sons grow, play sports, and discover new things.
On the morning of Thursday, October 6, 2022, his life
was cut short. Just after 11:30 a.m., officers from the Owensboro Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in the 2700 block of West 10th Street. They arrived to find Green suffering from a single gunshot wound. Emergency personnel provided life-saving treatment at the scene before he was rushed to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, but his injury was fatal.
Investigators learned that the person responsible had fled after the shooting. Detectives quickly identified a suspect, 33-year-old Keith Bryant of Sorgho, Kentucky, and determined that the two men were acquainted. Believing Bryant might be heading to a location in the county, police alerted the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies located and detained Bryant a short time later. He was then taken into custody by Owensboro Police and charged with murder.
As Bryant awaited trial, prosecutors and his defense engaged in plea negotiations. After an initial offer was withdrawn due to objections from Green’s family, a new plea agreement was signed by Bryant, his attorney, and the Commonwealth's Attorney's office to amend the murder charge to second-degree manslaughter. However, before the agreement was formally presented to a judge, prosecutors again attempted to revoke it, citing the family's continued objections.
In an October 2023 hearing, a Daviess Circuit Court judge ruled that the signed agreement was a binding contract and could not be revoked. The court enforced the plea deal, and Bryant was sentenced to eight years in prison. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office appealed the decision.
On February 28, 2025, the Kentucky Court of Appeals issued a unanimous ruling that reversed the circuit court's decision. The appellate judges found that the plea agreement was not binding because Bryant had not formally pleaded guilty before a judge at the time prosecutors attempted to rescind it. The ruling overturned the enforced plea deal and the eight-year sentence. As of February 2025, the original murder charge against Keith Bryant was reinstated, allowing the case to proceed.
