All three suspects charged in connection with the March 2 murder of 19-year old Alijah Watts at Casey’s General Store on Fort Campbell Boulevard were arraigned Wednesday morning in Christian Circuit Court.
A Christian County grand jury indicted 20-year old Christian McKeel of Hopkinsville for complicity to murder, 17-year old Jonathan Weston for murder and 16-year old Joshua Cotton for murder and theft of a firearm.
Circuit Judge John Atkins read the indictment against McKeel and public defender Munroe Graham entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Not guilty pleas were also entered by attorneys for Cotton and Weston and Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling assured the judge all of the proper steps had been taken as they were indicted as youthful offenders.
A pre-trial conference was scheduled for June 1 for all three suspects.
As previously reported, McKeel allegedly drove Weston and Cotton to Casey’s with intent to commit a robbery. A detective testified last month that a struggle ensued during the attempted robbery and that’s when Watts was shot in the abdomen.
Watts drove away, but soon crashed his vehicle near the intersection of East 21st and South Virginia Street. He was later pronounced deceased at Tennova Health Hospital in Clarksville.