“I Will Never Forgive You”: Mother Sentenced After Horrifying Murder of Her Two Young Sons
Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office and Facebook
A Kentucky woman, Tiffanie Lucas, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, Nov. 22, for the fatal shooting of her two young sons, 6-year-old Maurice Baker Jr. and 9-year-old Jayden Howard. Lucas, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder last month and is barred from appealing the sentence as part of her plea agreement.
The tragedy unfolded on Nov. 8, 2023, when deputies from the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting call on Bentwood Drive. They found the boys critically injured with gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to Norton Children’s Hospital, both boys succumbed to their injuries.
Lucas was arrested the same day after attempting to shoot herself, but the gun jammed. During her sentencing, Bullitt County Commonwealth Attorney Bailey Taylor said, “Tiffanie Lucas not only murdered Jayden and Maurice but she forever scarred the lives of their family and friends — both adults and children.”
According to investigators, Lucas described the incident as an “accident” and expressed remorse, calling herself “so stupid” and saying she was “in such a bad spot.” Detective Richard Beahl testified that Lucas believed she was “being manipulated through Facebook and her Wi-Fi” to commit the killings.
Defense attorneys argued that Lucas was experiencing a psychotic episode caused by opioid withdrawal. “She abstained from use, and in trying to get clean, this was the side effect,” said attorney Richard Lawniczak. Co-counsel Jonathon Villavicencio added, “No one is more devastated by their deaths than Tiffanie Lucas.”
Family members of the victims delivered emotional statements during the sentencing. Maurice Baker Jr.’s father, Maurice Baker Sr., spoke about his struggle to gain custody and the pain of losing his children. “I didn’t just lose Maurice on Nov. 8. I lost my son the day he was born,” he said, accusing Lucas of using their son to control him. Baker Sr. also shared how Lucas prevented their son from attending a planned birthday party, saying, “I begged her so many times.”
The boys’ aunt, Bobbie Baker, addressed Lucas directly, vowing to attend every parole hearing. “I will never forgive you,” she said. Lucas will serve her life sentence without the possibility of parole for decades, leaving behind a grieving family determined to honor the memory of Jayden and Maurice.
