Wyatt Testerman pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the 2024 death of 74-year-old Cheri Oliver.
COVINGTON, Ky. — A Northern Kentucky man was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to killing his 74-year-old grandmother inside her Erlanger home in October 2024.
Wyatt Testerman, 19, received the sentence in Kenton County court after prosecutors sought the maximum penalty in the death of Cheri Oliver. The case centered on a violent family attack, a guilty-but-mentally-ill plea and a courtroom debate over whether drug-induced psychosis should affect punishment.
Police were called to the 100 block of Ridgewood Drive in Erlanger around 2 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2024, for a reported assault. Officers found Oliver inside the home with severe head trauma. She was treated at the scene and taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where she died. Testerman, who was 18 at the time, was arrested outside the home. Investigators said family members witnessed parts of the attack, and prosecutors later said Testerman used a metal tumbler during the assault.
Testerman changed his plea in May to guilty but mentally ill. Under that plea, the conviction stands like a standard guilty plea, but he can receive mental health treatment while in state custody. Defense attorneys asked the judge for a 20-year sentence, saying experts on both sides agreed Testerman acted during drug-induced psychosis. They said Testerman had used LSD recreationally and was not thinking clearly when he attacked Oliver.
Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders pushed for life in prison. Sanders said there was no proof Testerman had a biological mental illness before the killing and argued that voluntary drug use did not excuse the death. “The Commonwealth is not in the forgiveness business,” Sanders said in court. “We’re in the justice business.” Prosecutors said a video recording was key evidence and described the killing as unprovoked.
Family members gave victim impact statements before the sentence was imposed. Testerman’s aunt and mother asked the court for mercy while also describing the killing as brutal. Testerman also spoke, turning toward relatives as he apologized. “I pray every day that she knows how much I love her and how sorry I am for what I did,” Testerman said. His relatives described Oliver as caring, active in church and willing to help family members in need.
Judge Patricia Summe imposed a life sentence, citing the violence of the attack and concern for public safety. Testerman will be eligible for parole after 20 years. The sentence ends the Kenton County murder case nearly 21 months after police responded to Oliver’s Ridgewood Drive home.
Author note: Last updated July 8, 2026.