Prosecutors won’t seek death penalty for man in killing of children’s mother

A Crestview Hills man accused of gunning down his ex-girlfriend in front of their two children is no longer facing the possibility of death row.

Prosecutors filed notice in Boone County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon that they are dropping the death penalty in the case against John Gentry.

Gentry, 37, is facing charges including murder, assault, violation of a domestic violence order, stalking, fleeing or evading police, wanton endangerment and robbery.

Investigators say Gentry fatally shot 32-year-old Tiffany Kidwell after tailing her to her sister’s house in Walton and confronting Kidwell about seeing his children.

Assistant Boone County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jason Hiltz said the decision to drop the death penalty was made after consulting with Kidwell’s family.

In exchange for taking death off the table, the couple’s children won’t be called to testify at trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in July.

The parties also agreed not to hold a hearing where evidence was to be presented about whether Gentry’s trial should be moved to another county due to alleged widespread racial bias in the community.

Of the nearly 900 comments to a sheriff’s office Facebook post announcing Gentry’s arrest, there were numerous responses saying police should have summarily executed him, including references to the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, according to documents filed by Gentry’s lawyers.

While the sheriff’s office post has since been removed from social media, Gentry’s lawyers said it was visible to the roughly 37,000 accounts following the sheriff’s office and the followers of those who commented.

His attorneys point to those comments as evidence that Gentry, a Black man accused of killing a white woman, won’t get a fair trial in predominantly white Boone County.

While prosecutors agree those who made offensive comments online shouldn’t sit on the jury, they said there’s no evidence those people live in Boone County nor that their comments have influenced potential jurors.

Judge Richard Brueggemann is expected to rule on that issue by May 31 in response to written briefs from prosecutors and Gentry’s attorneys.

Kidwell had an active domestic violence protection order against Gentry and tried to call 911 when Gentry allegedly shot her with a handgun.

When deputies reached the home a short time later, Kidwell was found dead inside her vehicle parked in the driveway.

Gentry later told detectives that he shot Kidwell “until it was quiet,” believing he’d emptied the gun’s magazine, according to a criminal citation. Prosecutors said an autopsy showed she suffered a total of 10 gunshot wounds.

Also shot was Gentry’s then-3-yearold son, who was sitting in the backseat of his mother’s vehicle. The child was struck in the abdomen and flown to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.

The couple’s then-6-year-old son was also present for his mother’s killing but was unharmed. Prosecutors say the boy went running inside to look for help as his mother was shot to death.

Gentry told detectives that he drove away but swiftly abandoned his vehicle when he saw police lights and fled into the woods on foot, the citation says. He allegedly approached a stopped SUV and ordered the two occupants out of the vehicle.

During that confrontation, Gentry told detectives, he aimed his gun at the driver-side window and it “went off,” shattering the glass and striking a man sitting inside, the citation says.

Investigators said Gentry was operating the stolen SUV when it was spotted driving recklessly, forcing an officer to veer off the road to avoid a crash, before he was stopped at Grand National Boulevard and Richwood Road.

Prosecutors signaled their intent in January 2022 to pursue the death penalty against Gentry, citing the alleged killing of Kidwell while she had a domestic violence order in place as “aggravating circumstances.”

If convicted, Gentry still faces possible sentences of life without parole or 25 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors in Boone County filed notice Wednesday that they are no longer pursuing the death penalty against John Gentry, 37, who is accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend in front of their two children. ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER