A Corbin City man accused of fatally beating his girlfriend's father was ordered held in jail Friday.
Lawrence Reid admitted to striking Kenneth Lea a total of 10 times "until, according to the defendant's own words, the victim went to sleep," Assistant Prosecutor Rick McKelvey told Judge Rodney Cunningham.
"I loved him," a tearful Reid shouted out at one point during the proceeding.
The argument began after Reid came home March 17, and learned that Lea had given methamphetamine to Katy Lea, the victim's daughter and Reid's girlfriend who was in recovery, defense attorney Michael Schreiber said, calling the attack "a complete anomaly to my client's character."
Several rows behind the defense — on the opposite side from her family — Katy Lea wiped tears from her eyes several times. She cried when the judge ordered Reid held.
Schreiber said he had the detention hearing postponed several weeks in hopes of getting the autopsy back, because there is a question as to how much the victim's significant heart issues may have contributed to his death.
but that still has not been finalized.
Lea, who was 60, had suffered three heart attacks and underwent operations that included heart bypass and having stints put in, Schreiber said.
"He survived all of those," a man yelled out from the audience, for which Cunningham admonished him.
McKelvey acknowledged that the victim had heart issues.
"We do not know whether ultimately this will be a contributory cause to the death or not," he said. "Even if it is, it is quite clear ... this death would not have happened if not for the repeated assault on the head and face of the victim by the defendant."
The preliminary report also found cocaine and amphetamines in Lea's system, according to information given in court.
In arguing for his client's release, Schreiber said Reid respects law enforcement and would show up to any court dates.
He said Reid even helped get his best friend, Jesse Walker, to turn himself in after an incident involving a gun put Absecon schools on lockdown.
"I will appear," Reid told the judge.
But Cunningham found that the murder charge coupled with there already being Division of Child Protection and Permanency involvement with the couple and their two children was too much to grant release.
