In the spring of 2016, the community of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was shaken by the tragic death of 17-year-old Tristan Xavier Darius Cole, a white male. A junior at Mercer County Senior High School, Tristan was known for his enjoyment of fishing, hunting, and playing video games. His life was cut short in a senseless act of violence that began to unfold on the evening of April 12, 2016.
On the night of April 13, 2016, Tristan's body was discovered off Deep Creek Road in rural Mercer
County. He had been shot multiple times and left at the scene. Investigators from the Kentucky State Police quickly determined that Tristan had last been seen with a fellow student, 16-year-old Trent Easterling. The investigation revealed a plot to steal an AR-15 rifle from Tristan.
Within 24 hours of the discovery of Tristan's body, Easterling was arrested and charged with murder and first-degree robbery. During an interrogation at the Mercer County Sheriff's Department, with his mother present, Easterling confessed to the killing. In a conversation with his mother and grandfather that was recorded, he admitted to shooting Tristan three times after striking him in the face with a rock. Easterling claimed he killed Tristan to protect a friend, Zachary Lay, a local drug dealer.
Two other teenagers were implicated in the aftermath of the murder. Zachary Lay, 18, and Meagan Sims, 18, both students at Mercer County High School, were arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence. They were accused of assisting in the sale of the firearm used in the murder and helping to conceal the weapon. Lay later pleaded guilty to the charge.
In February 2018, a jury found Trent Easterling guilty of murder, though he was acquitted of the robbery charge. The jury recommended a sentence of 30 years in prison. In March 2018, the judge upheld the jury's recommendation, and Easterling, then 18, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Tristan Cole. An appeal by Easterling, arguing that the videotaped conversation with his family should have been suppressed, was later denied by the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
