In the late summer of 2016, the community of Lexington, Kentucky, was shaken by the discovery of a local woman's body. Stephanie Anne Mullins, a 46-year-old female, was found deceased on the morning of August 7, 2016. Her body was located behind an apartment building on Cross Keys Road. Authorities were initially called to the area after receiving reports of gunshots. The investigation into her death was immediately treated as a homicide due to visible trauma.
An autopsy later confirmed that Mullins had died from multiple gunshot wounds. She was a resident of Lexington but did not live at the apartment complex where she was found.
For nearly two years, the case remained a painful mystery for Mullins' family and the community. Then, in June of 2018, a significant breakthrough was announced. The Lexington Police Department charged 26-year-old Jarvis D. Garrett with the murder of Stephanie Anne Mullins. The arrest was the culmination of a lengthy investigation that relied on witness statements and DNA evidence. At the time the charges were brought, Garrett was already incarcerated in Hart County on unrelated charges. Investigators revealed that DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was a match to Garrett, providing a crucial link in the case. A witness had also reported seeing a man matching Garrett's description running from the area on the morning of the murder.
The legal proceedings that followed brought the harrowing details of Mullins' final moments to light. During the trial in August 2020, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting a violent struggle. They argued that Garrett's DNA, identified as semen, was found on Mullins' hands. The prosecution put forth a theory that the two had met for a transaction that went horribly wrong, leading to the fatal shooting. The defense, however, vehemently argued that the presence of DNA alone was not enough to prove guilt. They contended that investigators had developed 'tunnel vision' and ignored other potential leads. Surveillance video from a gas station showed both Mullins and Garrett there two hours before her death, but whether they left together was a point of contention.
After hearing all the evidence and arguments, the jury delivered its verdict. In a surprising turn of events, Jarvis Garrett was found not guilty of the murder of Stephanie Anne Mullins. The acquittal left the question of who was responsible for her death officially unanswered, bringing a conclusion to the trial but not to the lingering questions surrounding the tragic end to her life.
