A Grand Jury returned indictment (#22-CR-40) on October 04, 2022 charging Karen Clemmons, 43, of McKee, KY and Kenneth “Ottie” Wilson in connection with the murder of Mary King Abrams. Wilson was arrested on October 06, 2022, and booked into the Jackson County Detention Center.
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Karen Clemmons pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Mrs. Abrams.
Wilson appeared before Judge Oscar Gayle House in Circuit Court on December 02, 2025, for a pretrial conference. During the hearing, Wilson changed his pleas of not guilty and pled guilty in accordance with a plea deal.
In the Grand Jury indictment, Kenneth "Ottie" Wilson, 44, of McKee, KY was charged with "Complicity to Commit Murder" (allegedly promoting or facilitating the offense of “Murder” when he aided, counseled, or attempted to aid Karen Clemmons in the stabbing death of Mary King Abrams). In a jailhouse interview following Clemmons’ guilty plea and sentencing, she claimed that Wilson was the mastermind behind the plans to rob Mary King Abrams.
Because of Wilson’s alleged role in facilitating and/or promoting the crimes committed by Karen Clemmons the indictment also included a number of other charges against Wilson including “Criminal Complicity to Commit Theft by Unlawful Taking", “Criminal Complicity to Commit Robbery, 1st degree”, “Criminal Complicity to Commit Burglary, 1st degree”, and “Criminal Complicity to Commit Tampering with Physical Evidence”.
The indictment also alleges that Wilson committed the crime of “Being a Persistent Felony Offender, 2nd degree”. When Wilson was over 18 years of age, he was convicted in Garrard Circuit Court (Action #18-CR-00056-001) for “Possession of a Controlled Substance” and was sentenced to two (2) years in prison on July 06, 2018.
PLEA DEAL
In accordance with the plea deal worked out with the prosecutors, Wilson pled guilty to the crimes of “complicity to commit murder” and to an amended charge of “Burglary, 3rd degree (the original charge in the indictment was “Complicity Burglary, 1st degree”). The plea deal dismissed the remainder of the charges against Wilson.
SENTENCING
Wilson waived the need for a pre-sentencing investigation (PSI) and was sentenced by Judge House immediately after pleading guilty. For the crime of “complicity to commit murder”, Wilson was sentenced to twenty (20) years in prison. For the crime of “Burglary, 3rd degree”, Wilson was sentenced to five (5) years in prison. These two sentences will run consecutively, so Wilson was ultimately sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in prison.
