In a second-floor apartment in Lexington, Kentucky, the lives of 24-year-old Marquis Dorell Harris and 25-year-old Sharmaine Shardea Carter came to a violent end. On October 16, 2019, police received an anonymous call reporting that a relative had been shot. This led them to the Crystal Gardens Apartments on Alexandria Drive, where they discovered the bodies of Harris and Carter. Investigators believe they may have been deceased for several hours before they were found.
The Fayette County coroner later confirmed that both Harris and Carter were victims of homicide.
An investigation into the double homicide revealed that both Harris and Carter had sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest. While a pellet gun and a shotgun were found in the apartment, a retired Lexington police detective determined that their injuries were consistent with a small-caliber handgun, which was never recovered. The case progressed with the arrest of Antonio Gaskin, from Detroit, who was charged with two counts of murder.
During Gaskin's trial, prosecutors presented a video interview in which he denied living or staying in Lexington. A key witness, a retired Louisiana State Police officer, testified that he had driven Harris from Detroit to the Lexington apartment the night before the bodies were discovered. The witness stated that when they arrived, a man came out of the apartment, hugged Harris, and gave him the remaining money for the ride. The witness later identified this man as Antonio Gaskin. The defense, however, questioned the validity of this identification, as the witness was only shown one photo. The prosecution also pointed to text messages that potentially contained 'death threats' made to the victims. Despite the defense's arguments and motions to dismiss the case, the trial proceeded with jurors hearing the final arguments.
