Neighbors remember victim who tied Lexington’s homicide record

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Lexington set perhaps its most troubling record Friday: the most homicides ever for a calendar year, and there are still two months left in 2017.

A woman found strangled in an apartment on Winburn drive is the city’s 28th murder victim this year. The coroner has identified her as 37-year-old Kimberly Dayton. Lexington’s previous homicide record was 27 in 1999 and in 2001. That was tied again Friday morning when Anthony Carter was shot and killed.

This is a record many in the Village Park Drive neighborhood have in mind going into the weekend.

“You know, only God knows why things happen the way they does,” Yukiko Jones.

Joyce Collins says she knew Carter as her maintenance man.

“He was a good person. He was a real good person,” Collins said.

His death makes Collins worry about keeping her granddaughter safe.

Lexington Police say Carter and the shooter may have known each other. If so, that would fit what Lexington Police described Monday as the circumstances around a majority of this year’s murders.

“They’re not random. Most of them are not random,” Lt. Albert Johnson said.

Officers also say the numbers do not overly concern them, citing Lexington’s growing population as one reason for the increase. It is understandable, but some people, like Joyce Collins, do not care.

Collins just doe not want to hear it anymore.

“It needs to stop. All this needs to stop,” Collins said.