Sometime between late Sunday night, Feb. 22, and 7:30 the next morning, when a person driving to work called 9-1-1, Paul Masters Sr. of Nicholasville fell from the roof of the Sav A Lot, snagged his leg on a utility pipe and was found hanging upside down from the pipe.
In a press release, the Versailles Police Department said that “[p]reliminary findings indicate that Masters gained access to the roof and was attempting to burglarize the building. At some point, [he] fell and became stuck on the building’s utilities.”
Masters remained there in freezing temperatures until the Versailles Fire Department arrived and quickly brought him safely to the ground.
Woodford County EMS Director told the Sun that Masters was still alive when a unit from his department arrived. Masters was transported by Woodford County EMS to Centerpoint Health-Versailles, where he died.
A death investigation is being conducted by the VPD’s Detective Bureau and the Woodford County Coroner’s Office.
In an interview with the Sun, Masters’ attorney in three pending cases in Jessamine County Circuit Court and others in Fayette County Circuit Court, John Reynolds, a former Fayette County Circuit Judge and now private attorney, said, “This was Paul’s M.O. He fought a drug addiction, mainly to methamphetamine, and committed burglaries to fund that habit. It’s just really tragic.”
Reynolds confirmed that Masters was released on bond awaiting trial in Jessamine County at the time of his death.
The death of Masters also led Father Jim Sichko, a well-known priest with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, to offer a funeral for Masters. On his Facebook page, Sichko wrote: “If the family of the victim needs help with his funeral – I will assist. Reminds me that even the thief next to Jesus being crucified as well, was granted mercy.”
This is an ongoing story. As developments are made public, the Sun will post on our Facebook page or in upcoming editions.