Kentucky man convicted in killing after governor’s pardon

By DYLAN LOVAN
Associated Press

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — A man pardoned by Kentucky’s former governor for a 2014 drug robbery killing has been convicted for the same slaying in federal court after a two-week trial. Federal prosecutors brought charges against Patrick Baker after he was released from prison when former Gov. Matt Bevin pardoned him in 2019. Baker’s family had political connections to Bevin, including hosting a fundraiser for the one-term governor. A federal jury in eastern Kentucky returned a murder conviction against Baker on Wednesday. Media reports said that verdict came after several hours of deliberations. U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom plans to sentence Baker on Dec. 21.