Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Stephen Soules, 21, of Scottsville, pleaded guilty this morning in Warren County Circuit Court to murder and other charges in the killing of Western Kentucky University freshman Katie Autry. Soules will now concurrently serve six life sentences plus 20 years without the possibility of parole.Under plea agreement, Soules will testify truthfully in the trial of Lucas Goodrum, 22, who is also charged in Autrys death.I understand why the prosecution has reached a plea bargain, said Autrys aunt, Virginia White. (Soules) cant ever go out on the streets again. He cant ever hurt anyone else again. At least Stephen Soules admitted his guilt, which is more than I can say for the other party involved.Soules pleaded guilty to seven of the nine original charges: murder, first-degree rape, rape by complicity, first-degree sodomy, sodomy by complicity, arson by complicity and first-degree robbery. Charges of murder by complicity and first-degree arson were dismissed by the prosecution. Any time theres two principal actors, you can sustain a straight murder sentence, said First Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Chris Cohron, explaining why he dropped the murder by complicity charge. As far as the arson, the facts warrant that Mr. Goodrum performed the arson, so thats why we gave him complicity.Soules and Goodrum were charged with raping and sodomizing the Pellville 18-year-old in her Hugh Poland Hall dorm room before setting fire to the room on May 4 of last year. Autry was severely injured with third- and fourth-degree burns, and died May 7 at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700