Thanks, in part, to a 92-year old woman’s testimony, her rapist won’t see the light of day for a very long time.

Not only did a Lincoln County jury take just minutes to convict 27-year old Kevin Higgins on charges of rape and burglary, they made it clear he should never walk free again.

They recommended life in prison. And a judge agreed.

“Extraordinarily egregious, shocking to the conscious,” said Hon. David Tapp.

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In June of 2013, Higgins forced his way into a 92-year old woman’s home, raped and beat her. When it came time for the trial, that victim was courageous enough to get on the stand and recount every agonizing minute.

“I think one of the most influential phrases she used during the testimony was the fact that he was unmerciful with her. He showed her no mercy. And I’m glad the courts showed no mercy to him,” said Lisa Dolen, the victim’s granddaughter.

“He has not expressed remorse. He’s a career criminal and in prison where he belongs,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy Montgomery.

The victim, who is 93 now, wasn’t able to be in court for Higgins’ sentencing Friday because she broke her hip not long after the trial. But her granddaughters say if she could have been there, she would have.

“She wanted to be. She wanted to show him that he may have gotten her down, but she wasn’t going to stay down,” Dolen said.

Higgins will be able to ask for parole after 20 years.

He was was found guilty of rape first degree, two counts burglary, two counts of theft first degree and two counts of persistent felony offender first degree. Police said Higgins was already in jail for a burglary that happened the night after this incident when DNA results linked him to the crime.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against a teen accused of gunning down a Lexington gas station clerk.

Travis Bredhold,18, is charged with murder in last December’s shooting death of Mike Patel at the Marathon on Alexandria Drive.

During a hearing in court Friday morning, a judge said they are waiting to set a trial date until evidence testing is completed. That’s expected in December.

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“They collected clothing. They collected lots of other items, of physical evidence that they need to test,” said Joanne Lynch, Bredhold’s attorney. “And, obviously, we want to see what those test results are and evaluate them ourselves.”

Lynch says the earliest they would be prepared to go to trial would be Sept. 2015.

Bredhold is being held without bond. He was arrested the day after the shooting at Fayette Mall armed with a loaded handgun, marijuana and more than $500 in cash. According to court documents, surveillance video shows Bredhold inside the Marathon station on Alexandria Drive early that Tuesday morning demanding cash and then shooting Patel.

A Boyle County man pleaded guilty to murder in the stabbing death of his own grandfather.

According to the Advocate Messenger, Charles Vanhook’s guilty plea was taken in exchange for a recommended 20-year sentence, the minimum allowed for a murder conviction under Kentucky law.

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38-year-old Vanhook stabbed Harold Long several times at his home in Oct. 2012, police say. A neighbor told LEX 18 the 88-year-old man knocked on his door, barely conscious and bleeding from the neck. Long lived for three months before he died from those injuries.

Vanhook was originally charged with first-degree assault for stabbing his grandfather. But after an autopsy showed Long died from injuries stemming from the stabbing, the charge against the grandson was upgraded to murder. It was originally thought the elderly man died from complications from various pre-existing medical conditions.

Vanhook is a diagnosed schizophrenic and has been hospitalized more then 60 times. His defense attorney told the Danville paper he was off his medication at the time of the stabbing.

Two of the four men who broke out of the correctional facility in Paducah earlier this week are back in jail.

State troopers say Steven Vargason and Zachary Clevenger were picked up just before 11 p.m. Thursday night. They escaped on Sunday night, police said.

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Troopers say they are still looking for Michael Houston and Joshua Barber. They say all four were able to get away because of a gap in a fence.

A Pulaski County man, who has previously admitted to distributing heroin that resulted in the death of another individual, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar sentenced 30 year-old Anthony Lacortiglia for distribution of heroin resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute heroin. Following the completion of his prison term, Lacortiglia will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years. Under federal law, Lacortiglia must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence.

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In August 2013, following the first day of trial, Lacortiglia pled guilty to the offenses. Lacortiglia admitted that on May 4, 2012, he distributed heroin to John Latham at Latham’s Pulaski County residence. A short time later, Latham died as result of injecting the heroin provided to him by Lacortiglia. Lacortiglia also admitted to conspiring with others to distribute heroin within Pulaski County.

Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Bryan B. Underwood, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI; Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police Commissioner; Robbie Clark, Director of the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force and Todd Wood, Pulaski County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by Kentucky State Police, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force, and various agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Parman.

The La Crosse Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating 23-year-old Shalim Shah Augustine from La Crosse.

Police say that Augustine was last seen between 11 p.m. and midnight on Tuesday, July 8. They said Augustine was with a group of friends who docked their boat at the landing behind Powerhouse Marine at 518 Logan Street. Augustine left the area on foot, walking southbound through the parking lot towards Copeland Park, said the La Crosse Police Department. Augustine did not return home and did not show up at work the next day, which according to friends and family is not like him.

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Augustine is described as 5’09″, 145 lbs, and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a pink button-up shirt, tan cargo shorts, black sandals, and black sunglasses.

La Crosse Police Sergeant Randy said, “At this time there is no foul play, obviously it’s very suspicious, and according to friends and family not like Shalim to not notify them of where he’s at.”

Sergeant Rank said the Jackson County K-9 Unit last picked up his scent at Copeland Park near Logger Field, but have not been able to pick up a scent after that. Police are now searching through phone records, they have searched the water near the Black River as well.

If you have any information related to Shalim Augustine’s whereabouts, please call the La Crosse Police Department at (608) 785-5962.

Nutley Police Department seeks your help in locating a missing “at risk” person:

William Barthel, 57, male, white, 5’10”, 140 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair, scar on right side of neck.

Mr. Barthel was last seen at 3 Adams Court, 2B, Nutley, N.J., on 06/25/2014. There is no clothing description available and no known possible destinations. It is not known if Mr. Barthel used any type of transportation.

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If you have information that can assist in helping safely locate William Barthel, please call 911 or contact the Nutley Police Department at (973) 284-4940

Name: Daniel Martinez II; Age: 40; Sex: M; Race: Hispanic; Height: 5’8; Weight:135

Additional information and individuals can be found at http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/09/3329119/lexingtons-most-wanted-july-9.html?sp=/99/164/1052/1296/

A 12-year-old boy is facing several charges after police say he stole his grandfather’s SUV in Powell County leading police on a chase to neighboring Montgomery County.

Stanton police say they got a call just before midnight about a reckless driver at Pine Creek apartments.

DISPATCH: Powell County 911. What is your emergency?
CALLER: I’m going by the school, there’s a 12-year-old driving a Tahoe. He stole it. He’s driving recklessly and he’s driving down the street without no lights on and everything

“There was this, they said some boy was out here spinning out and I seen the vehicle spin out. I didn’t know who he was,” said Debbie Hatton, who lives in the area.

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Police caught up the the vehicle and were led on a high speed chase through Stanton. Once police confirmed they were dealing with a juvenile, they say they terminated the pursuit.

“I’ve backed way off of him here, he’s still not slowing down we just crossed the county line,” the officer said over the radio.

But continued to follow him on 213 into Montgomery County.

“He’s actually turning right now onto Caulk Lake Road and just turned his headlights off,” an officer said.

As the boy turned around to come back out, police say he went off the roadway to avoid police, flipping several times into a culvert.

Police say he suffered minor injuries and was taken to Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Center. The boy is being charged with theft of the vehicle, wanton endangerment, and fleeing and evading police.

Was confidential police information leaked to a now convicted drug dealer by someone within the Franklin County court system?

That’s according to information shared with authorities that puts an employee under the microscope in the serious drug investigation.

Franklin County Deputies made a significant drug bust at the home of Patrick Stipes back in April.

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They found two and a half pounds of pot worth more than $16,000 dollars and an arsenal of guns.

The more disturbing discovery was a piece of paper with a confidential list of Frankfort police officers’ names and cruisers they were assigned to drive.

“It was an officer safety issue that was very important when we originally found that to find out where that document came from,” Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton said.

Stipes plead guilty to drug charges and in an affidavit named the source disclosed to be William McGaughey.

McGaughey is a deputy clerk in the Franklin County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

Sheriff Melton said there shouldn’t be any reason for a clerk to give this information to anyone in the public.

Authorities said a search of McGaughey’s Frankfort home uncovered several items including a baggie with suspected cocaine residue, marijuana and marijuana scales.

McGaughey lives across the street from where Stipes lived.

When asked if this investigation is over, Melton said this is just the beginning.

McGaughey continues to work at the circuit clerk’s office. He has not been charged in this investigation.