Man pardoned by former governor found guilty of murder

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - A Laurel County jury has found Patrick Baker guilty Wednesday afternoon of murdering Donald Mills.

Baker was pardoned by former Governor Matt Bevin in 2019 during Gov. Bevin’s final days in office, but that only applied to his state charges.

A jury had weeks of evidence to go through, including a case from the defense attorney of another gunman, but in the end, Baker will be headed to federal prison.

“It was all of the evidence, plus he had two confessions,” said Melinda Mills, sister of Donald Mills. “He had confessed to his ex-wife, plus his co-conspirator.”

A federal jury of eight men and three women deliberated for more than six hour over two days and found Baker guilty of the federal murder charges in connection with drug trafficking, robbery, and use of a firearm.

“The truth got out,” Mills said. “We got our justice.”

Baker will be sentenced in December and he could receive life in prison, but that is up to the federal judge.

Baker’s family did not want to talk on camera, but his father did say they were very disappointed in the verdict.

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