The murder trial of a Lexington man began Monday for the alleged killing of a 25-year-old Nigerian man outside a party in 2022.
“You know what happens when you pull the trigger,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Tobin told jurors in her opening statement.
This is what Tobin claims Woody LaPierre did one night in September 2022, abruptly ending the life of Adetokunbo “Tomi” Okunoye, in an Oxford Circle parking lot.
LaPierre, 30, was arrested that evening and charged with murder.
According to Tobin, Okunoye and LaPierre had never met before the shooting. They were at an apartment on Oxford Circle for a party.
Okunoye had recently graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati with his Master of Business Administration. He got a full ride to the University of Cincinnati to earn his second master’s degree in information technology. According to Tobin, he was visiting Lexington to see friends and attended the party.
When the party was over, Tobin said, Okunoye was looking for one of his friends, whom he discovered passed out in the passenger seat of LaPierre’s car. Okunoye went to try to get the woman out of the car, and when he tried, several witnesses remembered LaPierre had a gun, Tobin said.
LaPierre pointed it at Okunoye, shot him in the nose and the bullet struck his brain stem, Tobin said.
LaPierre fled the scene, Tobin said, while Okunoye’s friends hysterically called 911.
LaPierre left, hid the gun, threw away his clothes, showered and turned off his phone before going to sleep, Tobin said of the events after the shooting.
Tobin told jurors that Okunoye never had a gun, never fought LaPierre and never met him.
Tobin said the jury would hear testimony from police, first responders and witnesses at the party, giving them all the evidence they need to find LaPierre guilty.
Defense: LaPierre’s actions ‘not murder’
Ben Church, LaPierre’s attorney, said Okunoye’s death was tragic but not murder. Church said he initially didn’t know why LaPierre was being charged.
“Every crime is a tragedy, but not every tragedy is a crime,” Church told jurors.
He said jurors would hear from LaPierre himself, who is expected to testify later this week. Church said his client would be the only witness who had not been drinking at the party and therefore was not under the influence.
“Listen to his life, his background and see through his eyes,” Church said. “That’s not easy to do; it is not an easy task that I ask of you. But it is necessary.
“I implore you to listen to the evidence with an open mind and heart and to look through his eyes when you return to deliberation.”
