An official trial date has been set in the murder case against Rudolfo Amaya, as a mental evaluation on Amaya has finally been completed.
Amaya—who is charged in the fatal shooting death of 43-year-old Dante Welch in Oak Grove—appeared in the Christian Circuit Courtroom of Judge John Atkins Wednesday morning, alongside public defender Doug Moore.
Moore informed the court that the mental evaluation by the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Complex has been performed and they are ready to set a real trial date, vacating the place holder date that had been set for October 21.
Judge Atkins set an official trial date of January 21, with trial set to last for several days, and kept the October date on to act as a pretrial hearing.
Amaya is charged with murder in the first degree and first-degree wanton endangerment. He is alleged to have shot and killed Welch on New Gritton Avenue in Oak Grove in March of this year—he allegedly shot Welch, who was inside of a parked vehicle, in front of a toddler who was also in the vehicle.
The defense has previously stated they intend to pursue a mental illness defense at trial.