Not guilty plea entered for Shepherdsville man accused of shooting his brother's alleged killer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The brother of a Bullitt County man who was shot to death during a robbery has pleaded not guilty to shooting his brother's alleged killer.

A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of 44-year-old Stanley Watts as he appeared in Jefferson County Circuit Court Wednesday morning. He's charged with attempted murder and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

Watts is accused of shooting 22-year-old Bradlee Simmons last week in the parking lot of Pic-Pac near the intersection of Southside Drive and Strawberry Lane in south Louisville.

At the time, Simmons was wanted for the murder of Kevin Watts, Stanley's brother.

During his court appearance, Stanley Watts stood in a t-shirt with an image of his murdered brother's face on the front, as a judge set his bond at $100,000.

Police said Kevin Watts was murdered around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, near the intersection of Woodsdale Road and Cedar Grove Road in Bullitt County. According to authorities, Simmons and 38-year-old Richard Reno were driving a white pickup truck when they stole a trailer belonging to Kevin Watts.

According to court documents, Kevin Watts tried to follow Reno and Simmons as they drove away and ended up being involved in a crash with their truck. At that point, one of the suspects shot Kevin Watts in the upper left leg, according to police. He died at the scene from his injuries.

Police arrested Reno on Monday, Jan. 31, but Simmons was still on the run Wednesday, Feb. 2, when he was allegedly shot by Stanley Watts.

Bradlee Simmons and Richard Reno are charged in the murder of Kevin Watts in Jan. 2022.

According to court documents, Stanley Watts spotted Simmons in a Pic-Pac parking lot. At that point, police said Stanley Watts pulled a gun and fired at Simmons at least four times, hitting him once in the leg, before fleeing the scene.

After the shooting, Simmons was arrested by police and charged with murder and robbery for Kevin Watts' death. He was also transported to University of Louisville Hospital to be treated for the gunshot wound to his leg. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

Police said they were able to identify Stanley Watts as the shooter. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and according to his attorney, he turned himself in Monday morning. He remains in Louisville Metro Corrections.

Shortly after his brother's murder, Stanley Watts spoke to WDRB News about his brother's murder.

"My brother's a warrior," Stanley Watts said. "He died like a man. He was defending his family and his property. And to me, you know, some coward shot my brother and left him to die here. And all over a trailer and a car."

In a statement, Eggert, his attorney, said, "I would hope the system would look at this case with understanding and forbearance."

Related Stories: