Looking to address some issues between the parties, Judge Jamus Redd used Wednesday morning to schedule a 9 AM November 28 evidentiary hearing for Jonathan McCoy — who’s charged with the 2020 murder of Trigg County’s Thelma Ileen Barnett, and the arson of her Will Jackson Road home.
At the center of his decision resides the need to discuss a motion of suppression, in which detectives gained evidence from a traffic stop of McCoy, the defense’s desire to subpoena Allison Hunter, and their subsequent seeking of mental health records.
She’s charged with first-degree complicity to burglary, and remains a person of interest following a Kentucky State Police investigation that revealed she was with McCoy on Reddick Pond Road at some point near the incident, where he allegedly admitted to killing Barnett.
Through defenders Wesley Boyarski, Christy Hiance and Rick Lawniczak, a motion was filed last week, asking for Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins and her office to make those mental health files available.
Ovey-Wiggins said they’ve never had access to such information, despite their prosecution.
Hiance said their counsel understands the Commonwealth’s position, but concerns remain.
Indeed, the defense has argued for months that Hunter’s previous and multiple depositions with KSP involving the Barnett murder have either been inconclusive, inconsistent, or both.
Ovey-Wiggins also noted to the court that she opposed an evidentiary hearing for the suppression motion.
Hiance argued to Redd that they simply were listing the “purported” probable cause in their motion.
Redd ruled the hearing needs to be held, if only to clarify these motions.
Along with murder, arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and kidnapping leading to victim death, McCoy has charges in Lyon County, and his bond remains at $2 million.
His trial, alongside the charged Keisha Stewart, is set for July 2024.
