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Griffith Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 30 Years

Griffith Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 30 Years
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By Bill Hughes
Jan. 19, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY
By Bill Hughes Jan. 19, 2016 | 05:44 PM | PADUCAH, KY
A Paducah man facing a second trial for the murder of his wife has pleaded guilty, and will spend three decades in prison.

Directing Attorney Chris McNeill from the McCracken County Department of Public Advocacy confirmed to West Kentucky Star that Keith Griffith entered his pleas Tuesday before Judge Tim Kaltenbach in McCracken Circuit Court. 

Griffith pleaded guilty to murder, arson, tampering with evidence, and cruelty to animals, admitting that he killed Julie, his wife of 36 years, and set fire to their Tudor Boulevard home on January 17, 2014. 

McNeill said Griffith also pleaded guilty to a new charge of solicitation to commit 1st degree assault, related to an attempt to have another jail inmate shoot McCracken County Sheriff's Department Captain Matt Carter, the lead detective in the murder case. Sheriff Jon Hayden told West Kentucky Star the investigation into the new charge revealed that Griffith attempted to hire the inmate, and wanted to pay the man $10,000 to shoot Carter at his home with a high-powered rifle.

Griffith's first trial was declared a mistrial last February because of a hung jury. His retrial was set to begin next month.

McNeill said Griffith waived his pre-sentencing investigation and was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years on the original charges, and 5 years on the solicitation charge. The sentences will run consecutively.

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