Arnett Baines has pleaded guilty to the 2019 triple homicide that occurred on Audubon Avenue. Baines avoided a trial and the possibility of the death penalty by accepting a plea agreement that included a sentence of 25 years to life without parole.
Baines, now 35, is one of two men who were facing three counts of murder for the shooting deaths of Robert D. Smith Jr., 35; Jay Michael Sowders, 43; and Christopher Carie, 18, in a 2019 triple homicide. He also faced a first-degree assault because a fourth person, Carmen Vanegas, who was 35 at the time, was shot in the head but survived.
Terms of the plea agreement include:
- Count 1: Murder – Imprisonment for life with the chance of probation and parole after 25 years
- Count 2: Murder – Imprisonment for life with the chance of probation and parole after 25 years
- Count 3: Murder – Imprisonment for life with the chance of probation and parole after 25 years
- Count 4: Assault, 1st Degree – 20 years
- Count 5: Tampering with Physical Evidence – 5 years
- Count 6: Tampering with Physical Evidence – 5 years
- Count 7: Torture of a Dog or Cat Resulting in Death – 5 years
- Count 8: Possession of a Handgun as a Felon – 10 years
All sentences will be served concurrently.
As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth is closing two pending cases involving Baines. The charges for the cases are as follows:
Case 1 (19-CR-00223):
- Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
- Conviction Felon in Possession of a Handgun
Case 2 (21-CR-00269)
- Assault 3rd Degree-Inmate Assault on Corrections
Baines was scheduled to go to trial in August, but the case recently underwent mediation with Retired Judge Phillip R. Patton as the mediator.
Baines entered his guilty plea on Tuesday while appearing in front of Special Daviess Circuit Judge Tom Castlen, who recently took over the proceedings for Circuit Judge Jay Wethington after he was put on medical leave.
Baines said, “It’s a privilege to have met the mediation judge.”
Commonwealth Attorney Mike Van Meter said the recommended sentence was 25 years to life in prison, without probation or parole.
A final hearing has tentatively been scheduled for May 23, during which members of the victims’ families will be allowed to give victim impact statements.
Cylar Shemwell, now 36, was also charged with three counts of murder and one count of assault for the same incident. His trial is scheduled to begin on June 3, but his case has also been sent to mediation and could similarly be resolved prior to a trial. Patton has also been assigned as the mediator in that case.
