Tiffanie Lucas, a Kentucky mother, has pleaded guilty to murdering her two young sons, Maurice Baker Jr., 6, and Jayden Howard, 9.
Initially, she alleged that social media and internet manipulation influenced her actions.
On November 8, 2023, police responded to a shooting on Bentwood Drive and found Lucas collapsed in a neighbor’s yard. Detective Richard Beahl testified that Lucas claimed Facebook and the internet manipulated her into killing her children, calling it an “accident.”
Nearly a year after the incident, Lucas pleaded guilty to two murder charges on October 23. Her lawyer had filed a motion for an insanity plea, citing plans to present expert evidence on a mental condition. However, the defense’s reasons for changing course are unclear.
Maurice’s aunt, Bobbie Baker, expressed the family’s desire for Lucas to receive the maximum sentence. “She should have to stay in prison… Give them some form of justice. They didn’t deserve this. They’re kids.”
Bobbie Baker revealed that the family had contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) multiple times due to concerns about Lucas’s behavior. “We called because her friends would call me and tell me that she was getting high and putting them in the shower at three in the morning… Ice cold showers. And I called CPS, and they wouldn’t do anything.”
Judge Rodney Burress stated that Lucas pleaded guilty to charges carrying potential sentences of 20-50 years each or life imprisonment. Commonwealth’s Attorney Bailey Taylor plans to recommend a higher sentence at the November 22 hearing.
Taylor reflected on the case, saying, “That’s what made it so tough, you had 2 kids completely innocent and their lives are snuffed out in a matter of seconds. It was a very tough case. I sympathize with the defendants and sympathize with the community because it was a horrible crime.”
