Sentencing Phase Of Ballard Trial To Begin Wednesday

The man convicted of sodomizing and killing a six-year-old boy may learn his fate Wednesday.

The death penalty is on the table for Lewis "Buck" Ballard. Tuesday, he was found guilty by a Woodford County jury for the August 2007 murder of Wesley Mullins. The child was found dead in the garage behind his grandfather's home in Paris.

Prosecutors painted a picture of Ballard, who was believed to be a family friend, as a man who sodomized and then silenced the young boy by killing him. The jury apparently believed the state. But before the verdict was handed down, Ballard's attorney left the jury with the reminder that they had to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Ballard acted as he was charged.

The sentencing phase of the trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

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