MAN TO BE SENTENCED ON MURDER, FLEEING OR EVADING POLICE, OTHER CHARGES FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Erran Huber
Public Information Officer
O: (502) 595-2300 | ext. 3118
C: (502) 234-4311
ehuber@prosecutors.ky.gov
COMMONWEALTH VS. KAELIN DENZAQ AKINS
JEFFERSON CIRCUIT COURT CASE NO. 21CR2795
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (9/26/2025): Louisville’s Chief Prosecutor, Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, shared today that following a jury trial, KAELIN DENZAQ AKINS was found guilty on Thursday, September 25, of multiple felony criminal charges. He was also determined by the jury to be a Persistent Felony Offender in the Second Degree. A formal sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 20, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Division Four.
“We agree with and appreciate the jury’s recommendation that this defendant stay behind bars for good for his convicted crimes,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers. “This defendant was found not only responsible for taking someone’s life, but also for putting the greater community in danger while fleeing from police. I’m grateful for the hard work of our prosecutors, who had a lot of dots to connect on this case in securing this outcome.”
The following is the full prison sentence recommended by the jury for KAELIN DENZAQ AKINS. The judge in this case will make the ultimate determination of his sentence in accordance with both the jury’s recommendations and established sentencing law:
Murder: Life
Possession of a Handgun by Convicted Felon: 20 Years (enhanced penalty)
Fleeing or Evading Police in the First Degree (Motor Vehicle): 10 years (enhanced penalty)
Fleeing or Evading Police in the Second Degree (Pedestrian): 6 months
All sentences were recommended to run consecutively.
The defendant is not eligible for probation or shock probation.
The jury found AKINS guilty after hearing witness testimony and evidence of the following:
On November 1, 2021, Mr. Ousmane Ndaw left his home at approximately 12:28 a.m. in a white Toyota Prius and met up with the defendant at S. 17th and Gallagher Streets. The defendant, while armed with a handgun, got into the passenger’s side of the Prius, and the two men headed south on 17th Street. At approximately 4:34 a.m., Ousmane Ndaw was located in an alley behind Dumesnil Street with a single gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Ndaw was obviously deceased at the time of discovery.
On November 3, 2021, the defendant was operating Mr. Ndaw’s Toyota Prius. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the defendant fled at a high rate of speed. After a vehicle pursuit, the defendant got out of the car and led officers on a foot chase until he was apprehended. At the time of apprehension, the defendant was in possession of the handgun used to murder Mr. Ndaw. The defendant is a convicted felon and was on parole in case number 14CR1292 at the time of these offenses.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Milja Zgonjanin and Eric Jenkins were the prosecutors on this case.
The work on this case reflects the office’s aggressive pursuit of the first of Attorney Whethers’ 2025 G.R.A.C.E. in the Community public safety goals: Gun safety. G.R.A.C.E. in the community also includes Roadway safety, the pattern of Abuse of drugs and narcotics in our communities, embracing Community and collaborative stakeholders, and efforts to Educate our youth and share more insights about our laws.
The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney (30th Judicial Circuit) aggressively prosecutes felony, major, and violent crimes and is committed to the ethical and fair pursuit of justice. For more information on the Office’s dedication to public safety, visit louisvilleprosecutor.com