Tiffanie Lucas, the Shepherdsville mother accused of murdering her two children last November, is expected to change her plea Thursday in Bullitt County District Court, initially intending to plead insanity.
Bullitt County Prosecutor Bailey Taylor said Tuesday that Lucas is expected to change his plea as part of an open plea. An open plea, commonly known as the defendant putting himself “at the mercy of the court,” limits the prosecutor’s demands by asking the judge to hear directly about the case and the mitigating circumstances.
“There is no agreement between the community and the defendant,” Taylor said. “Of course we will ask for the maximum sentence available, but that is a bit of a long way off as there will only be an application on Thursday.”
He continued by saying the judge would likely set sentencing for about a month after Thursday’s status hearing.
Lucas is charged with two counts of murder, and on September 11, she entered a plea to use the “insanity defense” in her upcoming jury trial on December 17. Later that month, Lucas was also asked to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Read more about the case: A Bullitt County, Kentucky, mother is seeking an insanity defense after being accused of murdering her two children
The charges follow deputies who responded to Lucas’ home after receiving a report of shots fired in November 2023. They found her sons, ages 6 and 9, with gunshot wounds in a bedroom at the home on 200 Bentwood Drive. They were taken to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, where they later died.
Lucas’ arrest note states that a witness at the scene identified Lucas as the shooter, and a gun was found in the room where the children were found. He is currently being held at the Bullitt County Detention Center on $2 million bail.
Krista Johnson contributed to this report. Contact breaking news reporter Marina Johnson at [email protected].