PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Three months after reaching a plea deal that saw a murder charge against him dropped, a former assistant Pike County attorney is asking to be released from jail.

Donald Kyle Deskins, 56, of Kimper, is currently serving a five-year sentence in the Pike County Detention Center.

He had been charged with murder and two counts of evidence tampering related to the death of his wife, Judith, on April 24, 2021. A trial on the charges in 2024 ended with a hung jury.

In May, just before he was scheduled to go on trial a second time, he reached a deal with prosecutors that saw him enter an Alford plea to one count of evidence tampering in exchange for the other charges being dropped.

In June, he was sentenced to five years, although by that time he had already spent nearly two years either in jail or under home incarceration.

Last month, Deskins filed a motion for shock probation which would see him released immediately. Special Judge Alison Wells is considering the motion and expected to rule on the request soon.