Lexington woman charged in connection to homicide, pleads guilty to tampering with physical evidence

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — A Lexington woman connected to the murder of a man found beside a dumpster changed her plea in court Monday.

In 2022, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn identified the victim as Jimmy Medlock.

Jennifer Kashuba was first charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, but shortly after the murder charge was dropped.

In court Monday afternoon, Kashuba plead guilty to tampering with physical evidence, changing her not guilty plea.

Both attorneys negotiated down the abuse of a corpse charge; Kashuba should serve no time for that.

Marcel Bush Radomile with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy has been representing Kashuba since she was linked to the case.

“We feel like this is a fair resolution and our next step is to try to get her charge either probated or even conditionally discharged in recognition of the fact that she acted in self-defense,” Bush Radomile said after her client pleaded guilty to one charge only.

“This man had pushed his way into her apartment and begun attacking her in the presence of her children. She ordered them to go to the back bedroom and hide and the man continued his attack at one point, she was able to grab a knife and as he continued his attack, she stuck him once, she didn’t even know she had stabbed him,” added Bush Radomile. “She attempted to render aid, but he passed away. She didn’t want her children to see the body. So she put it in a closet and she went and cared for her children and she left the body in the closet for about 2-3 days after that, she moved the body in the middle of the night and attempted to discard it, but she couldn’t lift it to put it in the dumpster.”

She’s set to be sentenced for tampering with physical evidence on Oct. 26.