Red Corn to Succeed Larson As Fayette County’s Chief Prosecutor

By Greg Kocher
Lexington Herald-Leader
September 23, 2016

http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article103439102.html

Timothy.jpg Timothy “Tiny” Ballard and First Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Lou Anna Red Corn went over security footage as he testified in the murder trial of Robert Markham Taylor, who was charged in the death of Alex Johnson. Pablo Alcala palcala@herald-leader.com

Lou Anna Red Corn was appointed Thursday by Gov. Matt Bevin as the commonwealth’s attorney for Fayette County.

“I am confident that Lou Anna will serve the citizens of Fayette County well as commonwealth’s attorney,” Bevin said in a news release. “She has long been an advocate for fair, firm prosecution of individuals who violate the law. Lou Anna is highly respected by prosecutors, defense attorneys, police and victim advocates alike.”

Red Corn will succeed Ray Larson as Fayette County’s chief prosecutor. Larson, 73, announced earlier this month that he is retiring. His last day will be Sept. 30.

Larson had hoped that the governor would name Red Corn as his successor. “She’s strong and thoughtful and clearly not as belligerent as I am,” Larson told the Herald-Leader.

Red Corn, who has been a resident of Lexington since 1977, has been an assistant Fayette commonwealth’s attorney and has been first assistant since 2006.

In 1989, she helped establish the Fayette County Child Sexual Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team, which remains a model for other teams statewide. Red Corn was one of the principal authors of the state’s first model protocol for child sexual abuse multi-disciplinary teams and was a co-author of the Kentucky Attorney General’s Child Sexual Abuse Manual in 2003.

Red Corn also is a founding and current board member of the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass, having served as both treasurer and secretary.

In her career as a prosecutor, she has tried more than 225 felony cases, including 51 homicides. Some of the more notable cases include Shane Ragland for the sniper-style killing of University of Kentucky football player Trent Diguiro; Leonard Neinabor, a Catholic priest who sexually abused parish children over several decades; and Donald Southworth for the murder of his wife, Umi. Most recently, she prosecuted Mark Taylor for the kidnapping and murder of UK chef Alex Johnson.

“I have worked diligently on behalf of the citizens of my community as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney,” Red Corn said. “I am honored that Gov. Bevin has entrusted me with the responsibility of being Fayette County’s commonwealth’s attorney. I share his commitment to the advancement of public safety through vigorous but fair prosecution, and the treatment of crime victims with respect and dignity.”

Red Corn lives in Lexington with her husband, attorney Luke Morgan.