A trial date could soon be set in the case against Christian “Kit” Martin, who is accused in the Pembroke 2015 triple murder of Calvin Phillips, Pamela Phillips and Edward Dansereau.
Martin appeared in the Christian County Circuit Courtroom of Judge John Atkins along with defense attorney Tom Griffiths, who told the court that a trial set for some time in the summer of next year would give him time to appropriately prepare.
Assistant Attorney General Barbara Whaley says the FBI testing lab intends to have the DNA results back by the end of June.
Griffiths says there’s still a significant amount of evidence they have yet to receive, and with the Attorney General’s Office also continuing to investigate the case, they expect to get more. He says the defense would then have to complete their own investigation of the evidence, which is why he requested a trial date for next year.
Judge John Atkins deferred setting a trial date and set a pretrial conference for August 6, saying they can see where the evidence is at that time and plan accordingly.
Martin is charged for three counts of murder, arson, attempted arson, first-degree burglary and three counts of tampering with physical evidence. Each count of the indictment alleges Martin acted “alone or in complicity with others or another.”
The charges are in relation to the events that occurred on November 18, 2015, in which Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his home located on South Main Street in Pembroke. The bodies of Pamela Phillips and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau were found a few miles away in a corn field near Rosetown Road in a burned up car owned by Mrs. Phillips. Martin could face the death penalty, if convicted.