A man has been sentenced for the brutal rape of his six-month-old daughter in Webster County, Kentucky. Mykill Puckett, aged 26, confessed to the heinous act and has been imprisoned for 30 years without parole, along with a ten-year restriction from contacting the child. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman expressed the gravity of the situation, stating that law enforcement and prosecutors regularly confront unimaginable atrocities.
Prosecutor Zac Greenwell condemned the abuse as “simply horrific,” emphasizing the swift and comprehensive response from Kentucky’s justice system. Puckett will serve five years of supervised release post-incarceration and will be required to register as a sex offender for life. Puckett, along with his wife, Holly Jo Jones, was apprehended on August 10, 2023, following an investigation initiated by Baptist Health Madisonville staff who reported signs of abuse on the infant.
Subsequently, Puckett faced additional felony charges, including first-degree rape of a child under 12, incest with a child under 12, and wanton endangerment. He pleaded guilty to all charges. Despite being arrested alongside Puckett, a grand jury in April 2024 decided not to indict Jones. The infant, who suffered severe injuries, was initially treated at a Madisonville hospital before being transferred to Norton’s Children’s Hospital in Louisville.
Kentucky has alarming child abuse statistics, ranking as the fourth-highest in the US according to the US Department of Health & Human Services Children’s Bureau. The 2023 report disclosed a rate of 14.2 victims per 1,000 children, nearly double the national average of 7.4. Infants under one year old are particularly vulnerable, with Kentucky’s youngest victims enduring the most severe abuse.
