Lexington mother sentenced to prison for stabbing murder of her two children

Trials related to several fatal incidents in and around Central Kentucky neared their conclusion in June when the defendants received their prison sentences.

These developments include a Lexington mother convicted of fatally stabbing her two children and a man sentenced to prison after being convicted of murdering a woman in 2020.

Here you will find updates on court cases previously reported in the Herald-Leader.

Lexington mother sentenced to prison after killing her two children

A Lexington mother was sentenced to 20 years in prison on amended charges Friday for stabbing her two children to death.

Nikki James, 45, has been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of her five- and 13-year-old children, Lexington police said earlier.

On June 10, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter.

According to court documents, Fayette County Judge Kimberly Bunnell sentenced James to 10 years in prison for each count, to be served consecutively.

According to court testimony, the children were stabbed to death in their Rogers Road apartment.

James initially faced a life sentence on murder charges. Potter said two psychiatrists determined James was suffering from psychosis at the time of the crimes.

Bonnie Potter, James's attorney, said her client hopes that raising awareness about her mental illness will encourage other women to seek help early.

James was arrested in May 2022 after police were called to her residence and found her covered in blood, according to previous court testimony. Her children, Skyler and Deon, were inside the apartment with multiple stab wounds.

They were pronounced dead by the Fayette County Coroner's Office after being taken to a hospital, police and coroners said.

Joshua Crowe, a detective with the Lexington Police Department, previously testified that James' neighbors called police after hearing her say “kill yourself and the kids” and seeing her pounding on their doors, covered in blood.

Convicted murderer sentenced to life imprisonment

A man who killed a Lexington woman after suffocating her and stuffing her body in a closet has been sentenced to life in prison.

William “Bill” Parker Brown, 54, was charged with the murder of Ava Creech in 2020. In May, Brown was found guilty of murder, receiving stolen goods and illegal possession of a handgun.

Prosecutors said Creech, 62, died on September 11, 2020, but her body was not found by police until October 2 in the closet of her apartment.

Creech was bound with duct tape and had paper towels shoved down her throat. The cause of death was listed as asphyxiation and blunt force trauma.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole for murder.

According to court documents, his other charges were enhanced due to his status as a repeat felon.