Today (May 5, 2026), with the agreement of the victims’ families, Antonio Tyson entered pleas of guilty to two counts of first‑degree murder and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with the murders of Ms. Ruth Prats and Father Otis Young. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 8, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
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Under the terms of the agreement, following victim impact testimony from members of both Ms. Prats’ and Father Otis Young’s families, Tyson will be sentenced as follows:
Life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on each count of first‑degree murder, with those life sentences to be served consecutively; and
40 years at hard labor on the obstruction of justice count, to be served consecutively to the two life sentences.
The defendant has also agreed to forego any present or future efforts to seek sentence reduction or any release mechanism now or at any time in the future. As part of the agreement, the defendant will be housed under conditions equivalent to those on death row, subjecting him to the same confinement conditions he would have faced while awaiting execution. This condition was included to address the families’ desire that the defendant remain under conditions reflecting the severity of the crimes, while avoiding the prolonged appeals and collateral litigation that would follow a capital trial and sentencing that the State may not have been able to reliably execute.
Background and Reasons for the Resolution
The District Attorney’s Office had been pursuing the death penalty and the weight of the evidence in the case gave the State confidence that it would secure convictions. However, defense counsel presented compelling medical evidence over the past seven weeks raising meaningful concerns under Atkins v. Virginia regarding the defendant’s intellectual impairment and whether a death sentence could ultimately be carried out. While this evidence did not raise doubt as to Tyson’s guilt, his competency to stand trial, or his sanity at the time of the offenses, it did create significant risk that a death sentence imposed at trial would not withstand appellate review and thus barring the state from executing the sentence of death.
After multiple briefings and discussions with the victims’ families explaining the implications of the Atkins evidence and the risks and delay associated with pursuing capital punishment that might not ultimately be practicable, the State and the families agreed to a negotiated resolution.
This agreement removes the possibility that Tyson would receive a death sentence if convicted at the trial that was scheduled to begin on June 1, 2026. The resolution reflects the State’s careful evaluation of the law, the evidence presented by the defense, and the families’ informed participation and agreement.
District Attorney J. Collin Sims stated, “This outcome should not be interpreted as a reflection on whether the death penalty would otherwise be appropriate. The facts and circumstances surrounding the defendant’s guilt certainly warrant capital punishment given the heinous nature of the offense. However, historical IQ testing from the defendant’s childhood, MRI findings, and other documentation provided evidence of a traumatic brain injury and a significantly low level of adaptive functioning. Based on these factors, it would be challenging to overcome the legal standards established by the Supreme Court in Atkins v. Virginia. As a result, there is a strong likelihood that the State would have ultimately been precluded from pursuing an execution. Therefore, this plea agreement secures the maximum punishment legally available considering Atkins and ensures that the time served is as restrictive as possible, as if he was on death row, while relieving the family from a lifetime of appellate challenges.
The defendant’s guilty plea and agreed consecutive life sentences reflect the thorough work of the Covington Police Department, and particularly the investigation led by Cyrus Kety. Father Otis Young and Ruth Prats were deeply selfless, devoted servants to our community and their loss leaves a profound and lasting void for their loved ones and for everyone who benefited from their compassion and leadership.”
