Jurisdiction is going to play a key role in the case of Joseph Florentine — a Rock Hill, South Carolina man charged with the murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of his 36-year-old wife, Nichole Renee Florentine.
During a Friday morning pre-trial conference in Caldwell County Circuit Court, Judge Jamus Redd heard from both Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins and Florentine’s attorney, Cincinnati’s Eric Eckes — who both agreed that a September 19 trial date and a motion to dismiss needed to wait.
The reason, Redd clarified, is that South Carolina is likely to indict Florentine in this matter.
Ovey-Wiggins said she was aware that a trial date was “quickly approaching,” and that defense had long ago filed a motion to dismiss.
However, she said that defense has since disclosed “some information” about jurisdiction to the Commonwealth, and that “some information” has also been disclosed to authorities in South Carolina.
Eckes agreed, adding that some information released in discovery and testing would make it difficult to negotiate on two fronts: Kentucky and South Carolina. He said negotiations have been “fruitful,” but that matters may move quicker if litigation were occurring in just one state’s court as opposed to both.
Florentine has since waived his rights to a speedy trial.
Redd ruled in favor of continuing a trial date past September 19, and set the next hearing for motion to dismiss at 9 AM, October 18.
According to Kentucky State Police, detectives investigated a “dead body” found at Fredonia’s Hill Cemetery in June 2020, which was later identified as Florentine’s wife.
On June 23, 2020, Florentine was arrested in Denver and extradited back to Kentucky. He remains lodged in Caldwell County Jail.
It is worth noting that if South Carolina authorities move forward with indictments similar to this case, it will stem from a burden of proof that indicates Florentine committed specific crimes inside state lines.
Rock Hill, South Carolina to Denver, Colorado is a 23-hour cross-country drive. According to Google Maps, the fastest of three feasible routes between the cities cuts directly through west Kentucky along I-24.
