Originally set for trial August 28, Judge John Atkins granted a continuance in the case of Bobby Spikes Wednesday morning.
Owner of a Princeton address, Spikes is charged in the December 2021 murder of Christian Countian Stanley Bussell, and is a person of interest in the December 2021 death of 34-year-old Candice Marcel — whose body was found inside a car located on Trigg County’s Cerulean Road.
Kathryn Senter, assistant Commonwealth’s attorney out of Madisonville, told Atkins that DNA evidence has yet to be returned from labs and into the hands of defense, nor the prosecution.
And that it wouldn’t be ready for the trial date.
Furthermore, Senter told Atkins and Defense Attorney Eric Bearden that Spikes has yet to be indicted by a Trigg County grand jury — something that remains a possibility if evidence indicates where Marcel’s death occurred.
Bearden said he and Spikes wanted to have all evidence available, but the continued dragging of what was supposed to be a speedy trial process was bothersome.
Atkins advised both Senter and Bearden that an August 30 appearance should be used for a pre-trial conference date, and that both parties should contact labs seeking explanation on how long it might take before evidence would be returned.
Atkins also asked for Senter and Bearden to maintain contact with Trigg County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins, in regards to any possible charges potentially arriving from that direction.
Bearden also indicated that some of Spikes’ family is seeking to review the evidence already in hand.
Kentucky State Police previously reported that Marcel lured Bussell to her Hopkinsville residence, where her boyfriend, Spikes, who was known to frequent the home, allegedly shot Bussell in the head.
