x
Breaking News
More () »

Pardoned Kentucky man sentenced to 42 years in prison for murder

Patrick Baker was pardoned by former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin in 2019 for the killing of Donald Mills.

LONDON, Ky. — Editor's Note: The above video is from June 2021.

A convicted killer pardoned by Kentucky’s former governor is returning to prison to serve a 42-year federal sentence. 

A federal jury in eastern Kentucky convicted Patrick Baker of the murder of Donald Mills last August. According to court documents, Baker was charged with "willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation and malice aforethought" killing Mills during "the perpetration of any robbery and kidnapping." 

Credit: AP
FILE - This Sunday, May 30, 2021 file booking photo released by the Laurel County, Ky., Correctional Center shows, Patrick Baker, who was pardoned by Kentucky’s former governor for a 2014 drug robbery killing. Baker will return to prison to serve a 42-year federal sentence for the same crime. At a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, in U.S. District Court in London, Ky., Baker, 43, was sentenced to 42 years in prison, but he was credited for 30 months served on the previous conviction. (Laurel County Correctional Center via AP, File)

Baker was previously 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 and he was pardoned by former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin in 2019. Baker’s family had political connections to Bevin, including hosting a fundraiser for the one-term governor. 

Now, Baker is heading back to prison.

At a hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in London, Baker was sentenced to 42 years. He was facing a maximum of life in prison.

Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.

Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out