Hill pleads guilty for shooting death of teens

Published 9:57 am Friday, June 14, 2019

Murder suspect Denzel Hill agreed to serve 20 years in prison Thursday for taking part in a shooting that killed two girls.

Hill, 26, was the first of the four alleged shooters sentenced in the Nov. 7, 2017, double homicide at Washington Street Apartments.

According to the agreement negotiated during a mediation process, Hill pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation to commit murder and single counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. He would be sentenced to five years on each count, which would run consecutively.

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None of the charges are considered violent offenses, so Hill could meet the parole board after serving 20 percent, or one year, of each consecutive sentence.

Hill made no comments in court about the shooting, but said a statement he gave to police was true and he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against his co-defendants.

Co-defendant Ronnie Ellis is also expected to enter a guilty plea, but a competency hearing must be held first. Ellis’ case was continued to August 15.

The other alleged shooters, Matthew Carmen and Darian Skinner, requested their cases be tried separately.

Mikaela Buford, who pleaded guilty to facilitation for driving Skinner, Hill and Ellis to the apartment complex, was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday but her case was continued.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Nov. 7, 2017, in the parking lot of the complex. Witnesses said Hill, Skinner and Ellis got out of the car, spread out in the parking lot and began shooting. Carmen returned fire from an apartment. The two 16-year-old victims, Adreanna Castro and Kayla Holland, were leaving an apartment at the time and got caught in the crossfire. Both died from gunshot wounds.

Police said they believe the shooting stemmed from an argument earlier in the day.

Hill is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 15 in Clark Circuit Court. He remains in the Clark County Detention Center.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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