In the spring of 1986, a wave of violence swept through Lexington, Kentucky, culminating in the tragic death of Jimmy Roger Keene. A 47-year-old male, Keene became one of five victims in a brutal murder spree that unfolded on April 23, 1986. The perpetrators behind this string of heinous acts were two young women with extensive criminal histories, LaFonda Fay Foster and Tina Marie Powell.
Under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the pair embarked on a violent rampage, targeting individuals with whom they had both real and perceived conflicts.
The spree of violence involved extreme brutality, with victims being stabbed, shot in the head, and in some instances, run over by a car. Keene, along with two other victims, was left inside a vehicle that was subsequently set on fire. The other individuals who lost their lives during this tragic event were Carlos Kearns, 73, his wife Virginia Kearns, 45, Trudy Harrell, 59, and Theodore Sweet, 52. The sheer brutality of the crimes sent shockwaves through the community and was described at the time as the worst mass murder in the history of Lexington.
The day following the murders, LaFonda Fay Foster and Tina Marie Powell were apprehended by law enforcement and charged with the killings. Their legal proceedings were extensive and closely followed by the media. In February 1987, a jury in Fayette Circuit Court found both women guilty on five counts of first-degree murder. Initially, Foster was sentenced to death for her role in the crimes, while Powell received a life sentence. However, Foster's death sentence was later commuted in 1991 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
