Jared Banta, a 21-year-old male, found his life tragically cut short in what began as a setup for a robbery. On the night of December 26, 2016, in Frankfort, Kentucky, Banta, who worked as an assistant manager at a Pizza Hut, was lured to the Country Hills Apartments on Schenkel Lane under the impression that he would be selling marijuana. Instead, he was met with a violent ambush that would end his life.
His body was discovered the next morning, still inside his car, with a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into his death revealed a chilling plot orchestrated by five young individuals who sought money for a shopping trip. The group included Victorya Paige Young, Brooke Kennedy, and Cameron Montgomery, who used their acquaintance with Banta to draw him to the secluded apartment complex parking lot, a location specifically chosen for its lack of security cameras. The plan involved two others, Krishaun Mays and Kedrick Burton, who were to carry out the robbery. During the commission of the crime, Mays, who was 17 at the time, fired a single shot into Banta's back.
The aftermath of the shooting saw the arrest of all five individuals involved. The investigation pieced together the events of that night through text messages and a graphic audio recording from one of the defendant's phones, which captured the moments immediately following the gunshot. The legal proceedings that followed spanned several years, with each of the five facing serious charges, including murder, complicity to murder, and robbery.
Ultimately, none of the cases went to a full trial as all five defendants entered into plea agreements. Krishaun Mays, identified as the triggerman, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The other four accomplices, Brooke Kennedy, Cameron Montgomery, Victorya Paige Young, and Kedrick Burton, also pleaded guilty to various amended charges, including complicity to robbery and manslaughter, receiving sentences that ranged from probation to significant prison terms. The resolution of the final case came nearly seven years after Banta's death, bringing a close to the long and painful legal process for his family.
