The Murder of Ryan Poston

Ryan Poston and Shayna Hubers appeared to be the perfect couple. He was a promising attorney while Shayna attended the University of Kentucky- Lexington, majoring in Psychology. She would later graduate cum laude. Reality, however, was much different. The couple dated on and off for about 18 months, arguing more often than loving. Even trivial matters sent the couple into hysterics.

Ryan stumbled across Shayna's Facebook profile one day in 2011. He introduced himself, since he could not stop staring at the beauty he saw in her photos. She was stunning. The pair hit it off, finding they shared many common interests. They began dating, followed soon by arguments.

Hubers Shoots Poston Six Times

On October 12, 2012, Hubers shot Poston six times after an argument, claiming she fired the gun in self-defense. She called 911, although she incriminated herself several times during the call.

One of the odd statements made during the 911 call:

“Because he was twitching and I knew he was going to die anyway—and he was making funny noises—I shot him a couple more times,” Hubers said. “He was twitching so bad, and I didn’t want to watch him lay there and twitch.”

Police said a bullet was found in every area of his body. The crime scene did not indicate a disturbance, leading police to suspect this was not an act of self-defense.

Shana and Ryan had separated weeks before the incident.

He tried to move on; he had planned a date with Audrey Bolte, Miss Ohio USA 2012, the evening of his death.

Police Interrogate Hubers

Police brought Hubers to the police station. Officer Dave Fornash interrogated her. She initially stated that she wanted an attorney, but began to share details of the murder. Officer Fornash stated Hubers appeared unremorseful and made several morbid jokes about the murder, including telling officers, “I shot him right there (pointing at her nose.) I gave him the nose job he always wanted.”

Her behavior became even stranger once detectives left the room. She danced around the room, singing and snapping her fingers.

Hubers was charged with murder.

Trial & Conviction

At her April 2015 trial, Hubers claimed Poston was violent toward her. She was an abused woman, she claimed.

The prosecution argued that she was obsessed with the attorney, sending 50 to 100 texts per day in some cases. Learning that Ryan had a date with another woman led to his murder.

The jury did not believe Hubers abuse claims and found her guilty of murder. Judge Fred A. Stine sentenced her to 40-years behind bars with no parole eligibility for the first 34 years.

Retrial; Life in Prison

In 2016, the conviction was overturned when it officials learned that a convicted felon was part of the jury team that found Hubers guilty. This goes against Kentucky law.

At her new trial, Shayna again claimed Ryan had abused her, and she shot him in self-defense. A psychologist testified that she suffered from PTSD and borderline personality disorder and claimed the emotional abuse and distress caused by Poston led to her violent act of murder.

The prosecution brought forward witnesses who testified that Hubers sent them a text message joking that she wanted to “accidentally '' shoot Poston at a gun range. Another witness testified that she heard Hubers telling a coworker that she was going to kill her boyfriend.

Hubers was convicted of murder a second time on August 28, 2018. She was sentenced to life in prison.

While incarcerated, she married a transgender woman named Unique Taylor, but filed for divorce in 2019. She is serving her time at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women.