Two men charged in a 2010 murder at a Lexington business were formally sentenced in the case Wednesday.
Kenneth Wadkins and Joseph Richardson were each sentenced to five years in prison in the death of Ricardo Cole, who was shot to death in the Camelot West parking lot on Dec. 18, 2010.
Cole was found with two gunshot wounds. Witnesses told LEX 18 he was shot in the chest and lower back.
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Both men pleaded guilty to amended charges earlier this month. They were both originally charged with murder, but the Commonwealth agreed to reduce the charges against them because some of the key witnesses in the case wouldn’t agree to testify. Wadkins charges were reduced to criminal facilitation to manslaughter, and Richardson’s to reckless homicide.
Both pleaded guilty to those charges on April 14 with a recommended sentence of five years.
Richardson admitted to shooting Cole. He said he then got in a vehicle with Wadkins.
Even though that confession was made in the courtroom, the Commonwealth said there was nothing they could do.
“If we were to go to trial, we can’t use anything they say in a guilty plea,” Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Kimberly Baird said.
Despite the victim’s family’s objection, the men were each sentenced to five years.
