Proceedings were continued in Trigg Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon for murder suspect Johnathan McCoy, along with his co-defendant Keisha Stewart.
The man accused in connection to September choking death of 81-year old Thelma “Ileen” Barnett was set to be arraigned on a new charge Wednesday, but that was pushed back to another hearing on June 9, when McCoy is set to have a new lawyer, with Judge C.A. Woody Woodall explaining that this will allow all his charges to be together on the docket.
McCoy will be represented by Shannon Powers, out of the Murray office of the Department of Public Advocacy.
Co-defendant Stewart—who is charged with complicity to second-degree arson, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence—was continued to June 14 to allow her lawyers time to determine a best course of action in the case.
McCoy is charged with murder, kidnapping, second-degree arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree burglary. McCoy allegedly tied 81-year old Thelma “Ilene” Barnett’s hands behind her back and then strangled her to death at her home on Will Jackson Road on September 14. KSP says he returned that night and set her home on fire with her body still inside.
