Man Sentenced to 35 Years for 2020 Murder of Father and Toddler

Kevon Lawless has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2020 murders of Brandon Waddles, 21, and his three-year-old daughter, Trinity Randolph. The sentencing on Thursday follows Lawless's guilty plea to two counts of murder, first-degree burglary, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

The killings occurred in August 2020 when Lawless fired eleven shots into the victims' Louisville, Kentucky home. Six bullets struck Waddles, and one hit Trinity Randolph in the back of the neck. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Responding officers described the scene as a "mess."

Prosecutors stated the shooting was "the culmination of a preexisting dispute" between Lawless and Waddles, though the specific cause of the feud has not been publicly disclosed. Lawless had allegedly orchestrated a plan to murder Waddles, enlisting his then-17-year-old girlfriend, Akoi Reclow, and another man, Evan Ross, to help set up the attack.

Reclow reportedly contacted Waddles while feigning interest in a relationship. The following day, Ross drove Reclow and Lawless to the family's home. After Reclow lured Waddles outside, Lawless emerged from Ross's vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene. The state's highest court indicated the incident occurred during an attempted burglary.

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IMAGE2: Eleven shots were fired in total, six striking Waddles and one hitting his toddler Trinity in the back of the neck

Lawless was initially sentenced to life without parole in 2022. However, the Kentucky Supreme Court overturned this conviction in 2024, ruling that a mistrial should have been declared. This decision came after Evan Ross, who had agreed to testify against Lawless under a plea deal, was arrested for perjury after lying on the stand about not hearing gunshots. A judge had previously revoked Ross's probation for this deception.

IMAGE6: Lawless was sentenced to life without parole in 2022, but the Supreme Court overturned his conviction two years later, ruling that a mistrial should have been declared

IMAGE4: Ross was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2022 after reaching a deal with prosecutors, but was taken away after a judge found he lied under oath

Ross had pleaded guilty to facilitating the murders and burglary in exchange for a five-year probated sentence and agreed to testify. He admitted to driving the vehicle during the shooting but claimed he did not hear the gunshots because his music was too loud. The judge presiding over Ross's sentencing expressed skepticism about his credibility.

IMAGE5: On August 13, 2020, Waddles and Randolph (both pictured) were playing with a dollhouse they were shot. Police found Waddles lying in a hallway 'in a pool of blood'

Trinity Randolph was buried in a princess dress inside a coffin themed after Disney's "Frozen." The Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney, Gerina Whethers, stated that she hopes this resolution brings "some measure of peace" to the victims' loved ones after the six-year legal process.

IMAGE3: Despite officers' desperate efforts, neither Waddles nor his daughter survived. Little Randolph was buried in a princess dress inside a Frozen-themed coffin

IMAGE10: On Thursday, more than six years after the vile killings, Lawless was handed a 35-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the murders

IMAGE7: The Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney said she hopes Thursday's outcome brings 'some measure of peace' to the victims’ loved ones

Man Sentenced to 35 Years for 2020 Murder of Father and Toddler

Kevon Lawless pleads guilty to murder and burglary charges in a case that saw his initial life sentence overturned.

Sources