Victim Advocates

Carly Buchanan is a native of Morehead, KY. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University in 2016. Prior to joining the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, she worked with juveniles as a Court Designated Worker. She was also an ongoing Social Worker for the Department of Community Based Services in Fayette County. As a Crime Victim Advocate, Carly specializes in cases involving child victims.

Kelsey Ragone is a native of Nicholasville, Kentucky. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kentucky and acquired a Certificate for Diversity and Inclusion Awareness. While in pursuit of her degree, she interned at The Well of Lexington, a program that services survivors of human trafficking and at Central Christian Church, which provides services to community members in need and the homeless population. These internships equipped her to adequately advocate for an array of victims she will encounter in practice but also will aid her in understanding the community resources and partnerships that are available locally. Outside of victim advocacy she has a passion for giving back to her community by participating in Seedleaf’s community gardens. She believes that her work for the community does not stop after she leaves the office. Kelsey specializes in Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Robbery, Arson, and Assault cases.

Whitney Turner grew up in Cynthiana Kentucky, graduating from Harrison County High School and attended Maysville Community and Technical College. She joined our team in February of 2022 and wore many different hats before landing the role as the office’s Strangulation Advocate in 2023. As a domestic violence survivor herself, Whitney works passionately with victims and survivors throughout the entirety of their court case.

Natalie Painter grew up in Lexington, Kentucky where she attended Lafayette High School. She attended the University of South Carolina as a Capstone Scholar and received a Bachelors of Science in Sociology with a minor in Mathematics. While at USC Natalie gained research experience and worked with women’s rights advocates. She also founded the USC branch of Emergency Contraception for Every Campus and worked with a variety of student and community organizations to get the program running. Natalie specializes in Domestic Violence and Adult Sexual Assault cases for the Commonwealth and works with community groups to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence in Fayette County.

La’Yvonne Sensabaugh is from Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Kentucky, with distinction, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in 1993. She attended graduate school at Eastern Kentucky University, studying Criminal Justice and Juvenile Services. She is a Licensed Social Worker in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. La’Yvonne retired from the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government in 2023, where she worked as a Social Worker in the Division of Youth Services for over 27 years. During that role, she primarily worked with youth and their families involved with the court system due to status offenses. She also worked with the Lexington Division of Police as a Social Worker in the Family Abuse Unit. As a Crime Victim Advocate, La’Yvonne specializes in cases involving child victims, vehicular homicide, and wanton endangerment.