Lexington police arrest homicide suspect from early January shooting

Lexington police announced they have arrested Deonte Carter, 24, in connection with a deadly shooting in Lexington earlier this month.

Carter has been charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is lodged in the Fayette County Detention Center on a $755,250 bond, per the jail log.

On Jan. 7 police and the Lexington Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a person down on the 1700 block of Cantrill Drive, off Eastland Parkway, at 9:09 p.m., said Lexington police Lt. Brian Martin. When they arrived, they found the victim, later identified as Kobby Martin, 26, suffering from gunshot wounds, unresponsive in the street, according to police and the Fayette County coroner’s office.

Martin was pronounced dead at the scene, Lt. Brian Martin said. He said the shooting happened within “a short time frame” of when police were called.

Four days later, Carter was arrested for an unrelated robbery charge and was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle, according to an arrest citation. The stolen vehicle matched the description of the vehicle seen on surveillance footage at the homicide crime scene.

Court records say forensic detectives gained access to the vehicle and found a large amount of blood in the back seat. The blood matched the standard for Martin, per forensic testing.

Electronic evidence, such as phone calls, text messages and location data also connect Carter to the crime, according to court documents.

Carter also faces charges of first degree burglary, trafficking a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on top of the murder and tampering with physical evidence charges.