Bowling speaks to chamber about Kimber’s Law, how it came to be

For Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling, who represents both Whitley and McCreary counties, Aug. 25, 2019, was one of if not the worst day of his professional career.

EMS responded to a complaint about a none-responsive two-year-old, Kimber Collins, in McCreary County.

She had been home alone all day with mom’s boyfriend, Michael Cody Huff, and sustained massive acute trauma to her head, brain, neck, chest and body. Her brain was bleeding in several locations.

“When her mother found her that day, she had more bruises on her than skin,” Bowling noted.

The medical examiner determined that she had over 44 separate and distinct injuries to her body.

Bowling and then Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Nick Wilson prosecuted the case, and finally received a guilty that called for Huff to serve 45 years in prison.

“That was the largest sentence in this jurisdiction’s history for the killing of a child. It has happened here before. I think the average sentence was 10 or 15 years, which was pitiful. 45 years is inadequate in my opinion,” Bowling said.

Despite the egregiousness of the offense, Huff will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years in prison just as he would be if he had killed someone while driving drunk.

“There is a good chance – he is a young man – that he will walk amongst you one day. I found that pretty outrageous,” Bowling told members of the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce during its monthly membership luncheon Tuesday, which was held at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center.

Bowling and Wilson didn’t think that was good enough.

“He and I both agreed that it is outrageous that Cody Huff ever sees the light of day again,” Bowling said.

After Wilson got elected as 82^nd Representative late last year, Bowling said that the two of them set out to get the law changed so that the intentional murder of a child 12 years of age and younger would be eligible for the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole and life without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

They knew it was going to be an uphill battle as the death penalty statute hadn’t been changed in over 30 years, and there is a growing movement around Louisville and Lexington to abolish the death penalty in Kentucky.

Added to this was the fact this year’s legislative session was only 30 days in length and this was Wilson’s first session as a legislator in Frankfort.

Bowling told the crowd that they kind of doubted their efforts would be successful this year, and that they were more so hoping raise awareness and maybe lay the foundation to get the bill passed in a few years.

Despite the doubts, on Feb. 10, Wilson introduced 23 HB 249 Kimber’s Law to the Kentucky General Assembly, and both he and Wilson testified multiple times about it before legislative panels.

Bowling noted that he managed to guilt members of the legislature by pointing out to them that as elected officials, prosecutors could pursue the death penalty against someone accused of killing them, but not against those that kill children.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the bill by a vote of 18-0. On March 10, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 85-6.

At 10 p.m. on the final day of the regular legislative session, the bill was finally called for a vote in the Kentucky Senate where it passed by a vote of 32-4.

Gov. Andy Beshear signed Kimber’s Law into law on March 24. It goes into effect on July 14.

“Now people that kill children in Kentucky, we can kill them back,” Bowling said. “We should always punish the most we can people that prey on children … I hope that I never have to use it. I hope it never comes up again.”

Bowling said that he will next work on legislation that would expand the death penalty to cover the killing of elderly adults ages 70 and over.

Since Bowling became Commonwealth’s Attorney four years ago, his office has successfully gotten 1,500 felony convictions, seven life sentences and it has a 100 percent conviction rate in homicide cases and cases involving crimes against children. His office has convicted 14 individuals for murder since he took office.

Tuesday’s luncheon was sponsored by Bluegrass Care Navigators.

Bowling’s wife, Sarah Bowling, spoke to the crowd on behalf of Bluegrass Care Navigators about National Healthcare Decision Day on April 16, and the need for people to have what are sometimes difficult conversations with their families about their wishes for advance care planning in the event they become unable to speak for themselves.

In addition, the chamber presented new member plaques to Winds of Change, VFW Post 3302, Work Out Any Time and Partners for Rural Impact.

Sonny’s BBQ catered Tuesday’s luncheon.