An early 2022 trial date was set in Christian County Circuit Court Wednesday for a Hopkinsville man charged in the 2019 shooting of another man following an argument that began in a vehicle.
Judge Andrew Self set a trial date of January 10 with a full week on the calendar set aside to complete the proceedings.
19-year-old Robert Earl Torian III is charged with murder in connection to the August 2019 death of Terrill Moore. Police said Torian and Moore were passengers in a vehicle when an argument began. Torian is accused of shooting Moore in the head after he exited the vehicle.
Before setting the trial date, Judge Self heard a bond reduction motion from Torian’s attorney Hannah Peveler. She requested her client’s bond be reduced from $500,000 since he has been in jail since his arrest and several subsequent court appearances have been continued.
Paige Williams and Abby Leach
The Christian County Grand Jury returned superseding indictments for a former pastor and former daycare worker at First United Methodist Church who are facing child-abuse-related charges.
Former Pastor Paige Williams and Abby Leach were indicted Friday on eight counts of first-degree complicity to criminal abuse of a child under 12.
According to the superseding indictments, Williams and Leach “intentionally breached their legal duty to protect” eight minors less than 13-months old from a situation that might cause “serious physical injury, torture, cruel confinement or cruel punishment at the hands of Allison Simpson.”
Allison Simpson
Williams and Leach were initially indicted in August 2019 on one count of first-degree complicity criminal abuse of a child under 12.
Allison Simpson
A Christian County Circuit Court judge continued the cases against four women facing alleged child abuse-related charges that occurred at the First United Methodist Church daycare until later this month after the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced Thursday afternoon two of the cases will be going back to the grand jury.
Attorney’s for former daycare worker Allison Simpson, former church pastor Paige Williams, and former daycare workers Abby Leach and Nina Morgan, along with Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling appeared virtually for a pretrial conference before Circuit Chief Judge John Atkins.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling
Boling informed Judge Atkins his office has made plea offers to all of the defendants. He said one offer has been formally rejected and another offer wants to do more negotiations. He added his intent for the remaining two defendants Williams and Leach is to re-present their cases to the grand jury for a possible superceding indi
A Todd County man charged in connection to a fatal hunting accident that claimed the life of his brother entered a guilty plea as part of a plea agreement in Christian County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon.
Julian Newton was charged with second-degree manslaughter, first-degree wanton endangerment, and hunting-related offenses in the shooting death of his brother, 58-year old Charles Newton while they were hunting on McKinney Road in Christian County on October 18, 2020.
Newton and his attorney Mark Gilbert along with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Bolen appeared before Judge Andrew Self, who read the charges listed as part of the plea agreement, including the manslaughter offense that was amended to reckless homicide.
Authorities say an Oak Grove teen out on probation for a robbery conviction was arrested on an active warrant in Lyon County Thursday night after he reportedly abandoned a stolen vehicle on Interstate 69.
Lyon County Sheriff Brent White reports law enforcement responded to assist a stranded motorist around 7:20 p.m. on Interstate 69 near the 71 mile-marker. He says a Kentucky State Police trooper was the first to arrive and found the SUV was unoccupied and had been stolen out of Oak Grove.
According to Sheriff White, a male subject was seen walking southbound near the area and was later located by Deputy Joe Witherspoon and Evansville Police Officer Shannon Oliver at the Eddyville 2nd Baptist Church off KY 3305 near Pebble Creek subdivision. Sheriff White says when the male was detained he was armed with a handgun that was also reported stolen.