Published: August 2, 2025
Author: Injustice Spotlight Staff
Paul Oliver Brock has spent the last seven years incarcerated for a triple homicide he says he didn’t commit — a conviction riddled with gaps in evidence, untested forensic leads, and a key witness who never actually saw the shooting. Now 45 years old, Paul is serving life without parole in a Kentucky state prison. But his case has left many wondering whether justice was ever served.
Before he was sent to prison, Paul spent four years in county jail. In all that time, the only sunlight he saw was during his court appearances. He was kept indoors in total confinement — no yard time, no fresh air. His mother, Mary Asher, remembers those years as “the longest and hardest, most agonizing years of our lives.”
The conviction hinged largely on the testimony of Justin Collins, who admitted he didn’t witness the murders but claimed he heard gunshots and leapt from a small window in fear. That window was just 19 inches wide and more than seven feet off the ground. Justin told police he landed in the mud, but when first responders arrived, he was inexplicably clean — wearing a white Nike shirt without a drop of mud or water on him. He had no visible injuries, no scrapes, and no blood. Investigators never questioned this contradiction. They never searched for dirty clothes, never asked how he stayed clean, and never tested his clothing for blood or DNA.
In fact, despite the violent nature of the crime, the clothing of both Justin Collins and Aaron Byers was never tested for blood spatter. According to Mary Asher, “They didn’t try to find out why Justin was so clean. They didn’t ask him anything. There was plenty of time between when the shootings occurred and when he called 911 for him to change clothes. So many things were overlooked.”
One of the men who was shot that night was Aaron Byers, who is now deceased. Paul has always maintained that he acted in self-defense after Aaron pulled a gun on him during a confrontation inside Paul’s truck. A struggle ensued, and Paul was able to wrestle the weapon away before shots were fired. That’s how Aaron’s blood ended up on Paul’s clothing. Aaron’s DNA was confirmed through forensic testing. His history of violence, including abuse toward his wife, was well known, and another witness gave sworn testimony that Aaron always carried a gun. But because Aaron had died in the incident, no charges could ever be brought against him, and the prosecution instead focused solely on Paul.
During closing arguments, Paul's attorney Andrea Kendall emphasized that Aaron Byers was the one who shot and killed Tiffany Byers and Mary Jackson — not Paul. She told the jury that Paul only shot Byers in a desperate act of self-defense during the struggle. The defense recounted the inconsistencies in the prosecution’s witnesses and highlighted Paul’s long history of hardship. The jury heard that Paul, far from being a cold-blooded killer, was the only one trying to survive a volatile and deadly situation he never asked to be part of.
Rather than fully investigating these facts or giving weight to the physical evidence, the Commonwealth built its case around the lone testimony of a man who fled the scene and whose story has never fully added up. Paul, meanwhile, has consistently said that what happened was never murder — it was a chaotic, terrifying moment that unfolded in self-defense and ended in tragedy.
Now, supporters are calling for a full review of the case. They say too many questions remain unanswered: Why weren’t the clothes tested? Why weren’t the inconsistencies in Justin’s story investigated? Why wasn’t the DNA evidence pointing to Aaron’s role given more weight?
With each passing year, the urgency grows. Paul’s loved ones continue to fight, not just for his release, but for the truth — before time runs out.
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