Trial proceedings got underway Monday morning in the Fort Campbell Boulevard murder case, but not before two of the defendants entered guilty pleas to their roles in the incident.
Jonathan Weston had originally been charged with murder and Christian McKeel had been indicted for complicity to murder in connection to the 2022 shooting death of Alijah Watts, but following the filing of superseding indictments before trial Monday morning, those charges were changed. They both then pled guilty to the charges on the new indictments.
Weston entered a guilty plea to facilitation to first-degree assault and first-degree wanton endangerment, which Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Bolen clarified came with a recommended sentence of eight years and six months.
Meanwhile, McKeel entered a guilty plea to facilitation to murder and second-degree robbery, for a total of 11 years.
Judge John Atkins accepted both of their pleas, making sure that they were entering them of their own free will and then setting final sentencing for November 1.
That leaves only Joshua Cotton left to face trial—he is charged with murder, first-degree robbery and theft by unlawful taking in this case. Court officials sat a jury Monday morning, with trial expected to last three-to-four days, and proceeded to opening statements in the afternoon.
Hopkinsville police says McKeel drove then 17-year old Weston and then 16-year old Cotton to Casey’s with intent to commit a robbery. A detective testified earlier this year that a struggle ensued during the attempted robbery and that’s when 19-year old Watts was shot in the abdomen. He would die of his injuries.