The five suspects charged in connection with the murder of Jerry Robertson near Allensville in September appeared in Todd Circuit Court Wednesday and their trial could happen as soon as July.
The Commonwealth has been granted search warrants to obtain DNA swabs and hair samples from 31-year old Daniel Westbrook, 41-year old Douglas Cropper, 36-year old Timmie Latham, 22-year old Faith Martin and 26-year old Brandi Scruggs.
Westbrook is the alleged shooter and is charged with murder, while the other four are charged with complicity to murder and additional related counts.
Ken Root represents Latham and is the only attorney to file a motion to alter bond, so far. Root wants Judge Tyler Gill to transfer Latham to the Simpson County Jail, where he is facing additional charges. Latham has a heart condition that must be monitored and he has been pleased with the medical monitoring he’s received in Simpson County, according to Root.
Judge Gill declined to modify Latham’s bond in any way, expressing his surprise Latham could have been out of jail to commit a crime in September with his extensive criminal history that includes numerous methamphetamine-related charges and multiple fourth-degree assaults.
He also denied the request to move Latham to a different jail.
Latham has filed a motion requesting a state-appointed private investigator to assist in his defense. Judge Gill explored the idea of appointing one investigator to assist all five defendants, but Root says they don’t all share the same common interests.
Judge Gill says he’ll review case law before making a decision on how to proceed.
He set another pre-trial conference for January 16th, when he will encourage newly elected Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Kerr to agree to a trial date in July—though November is also a possibility.
Westbrook allegedly shot Robertson three times after Scruggs drove the victim in a car to an area just north of KY 848 on Stateline Road. A pickup occupied by Westbrook and the three other suspects passed the car and then stopped in their path of travel, according to the KSP warrant, which says all five suspects fled in the pickup after Westbrook fired the weapon that Cropper provided to him.
Scruggs Westbrook
Latham Martin
Cropper