In the late afternoon of a crisp November day in 2020, the life of 28-year-old Richard Blake Martin was tragically cut short in Bardstown, Kentucky. On November 25th, police responded to a call about a shooting on Louisville Road. When they arrived, they found Martin deceased in a carport area from a gunshot wound. He was a father of two daughters and an employee at Doc's Industrial, Trademark Excavating, and MBJ Logging.
Information provided by a caller at the scene quickly led law
enforcement to a suspect. Deputies went to a residence on Abbey Ridge Road where they found the suspect's vehicle. The man, identified as 32-year-old John Thomas Wimsett of Bardstown, surrendered to authorities without a struggle. Wimsett was subsequently arrested and charged with murder for the fatal shooting of Martin.
The investigation into Martin's death revealed that the shooting occurred at the home of Martin's ex-girlfriend, who was also Wimsett's ex-girlfriend. According to the witness, Martin had arrived at the house and was shot by Wimsett shortly after entering the residence, with no physical altercation or words exchanged. Following his arrest, Wimsett was booked into the Nelson County Jail. His case went to trial, but the first trial resulted in a hung jury and a mistrial. A retrial was scheduled, with Wimsett claiming self-defense.
