A man in Kentucky, identified as Mykill Puckett, age 26, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the heinous rape of his six-month-old daughter, as confirmed by the local attorney general’s office. The Kentucky Attorney General, Russell Coleman, expressed disgust at the crime, emphasizing the challenging nature of law enforcement’s daily experiences. Puckett will serve his full sentence without the possibility of parole and will be prohibited from contacting the child for ten years.
The prosecutor, Zac Greenwell, characterized the abuse as “extremely horrifying,” highlighting the swift and comprehensive response of Kentucky’s justice system to such appalling acts. Following his incarceration, Puckett will undergo a five-year supervised release period and be required to register as a lifelong sex offender. Puckett and his wife, Holly Jo Jones, were arrested on August 10, 2023, after medical staff at Baptist Health Madisonville reported injuries on the infant consistent with abuse and assault, leading to charges of first-degree assault and child abuse.
Subsequently, Puckett faced additional felony charges, including first-degree rape of a child under 12, incest with a child under 12, and wanton endangerment, to which he pleaded guilty. In contrast, a grand jury in April 2024 chose not to indict Jones. The infant, who suffered severe injuries, was initially treated at a Madisonville hospital before being transferred to Norton’s Children’s Hospital in Louisville. Kentucky’s child abuse rates rank among the highest in the United States, with a rate of 14.2 victims per 1,000 children in 2023, nearly double the national average. Infants under the age of one are particularly vulnerable in Kentucky, with the youngest victims enduring the most severe consequences of abuse.