LONDON, Ky. — A Kentucky man controversially pardoned by former Gov. Matt Bevin has be arrested by federal authorities in connection to the same 2014 murder case for which he was previously convicted.
Patrick Baker is accused of "willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation and malice aforethought" killing Donald Mills during "the perpetration of any robbery and kidnapping," per court documents.
Baker was convicted of reckless homicide in the 2014 Knox County home invasion that resulted in Mills' death, however his attorneys claimed Kentucky State Police framed him for the crime.
Former Gov. Matt Bevin pardoned Baker before he left office, though his two accomplices remained in prison. Several lawmakers called for an investigation into the pardon after it was revealed Baker's family raised more than $20,000 for Bevin's campaign.
"Look, you have someone who pulled the trigger and killed a person who just got let out of jail, while his codefendants, who did not pull the trigger, one of whom wasn't even in the house, are sitting in a prison cell right now,” Sen. Morgan McGarvey (D) said.
KSP said the agency supports the jury's decision to find Baker guilty, and said there were no official complaints made regarding the case in the two years between his conviction and Bevin's pardon.
The federal indictment alleges Baker "did unlawfully cause the death of Donald Mills through the use of a firearm." Baker is also charged with conspiracy to distribute pills containing oxycodone.
If convicted, Baker could face the death penalty or a maximum sentence of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 and no more than five years of supervised release.
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