Another snag has arrived in the joined case of Jonathan McCoy and Keisha Stewart, who have both been assessed a myriad of associated charges in the 2020 death of Trigg County’s Thelma “Ileen” Barnett and the arson of her Will Jackson Road home.
During Wednesday’s Trigg County Circuit Court afternoon session, one of McCoy’s public defenders, Christy Hiance, noted that contact with the Trigg-Lyon Fire Department has led to a unique discovery.
A reporting agency for the Barnett fire, Hiance said any records of the fire could potentially be exculpatory for McCoy, but that those records are currently unavailable.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins said she’s already served a subpoena to the Trigg-Lyon Fire Department, and that a discussion with current leadership determined that former Fire Chief Tonya Wadlington was in possession of said records.
Therefore, Hiance stated that the defense plans to independently track down Wadlington and subpoena her for the records.
A hearing date for these records was set for 9 AM, February 24, 2023.
Meanwhile, Ovey-Wiggins addressed to the court that a trial date had yet to be set for McCoy and Stewart.
After considerable discussion, Judge Jamus Redd set it for July 14, 2024 — citing the fact that the case likely needs “two-to-four weeks” to be appropriately heard due to the fact of voluminous discovery and the guilt or innocence of two defendants.
Ovey-Wiggins also informed the court that DNA analysis from a long-questioned hair sample from the crime scene has finally been completed. She said the defense, which also includes lead counselor Wesley Boyarski and co-counsel Rick Lawniczak, has been advised its contents. The Commonwealth has also recently received some new supplemental discovery from subpoenas and Kentucky State Police. It will be released later this week.
The number of charges between McCoy and Stewart remains lengthy.
Stewart is not charged with Barnett’s murder, but does have one count of complicity to second-degree arson, one count of complicity abuse of a corpse, one count of complicity tampering with physical evidence and one count of complicity burglary, second degree — all related to the Barnett crime.
In a separate Trigg County charge, she has one count of credit card fraud under $10,000.
McCoy, meanwhile, has pending litigation in two counties.
For Lyon County, he has one charge of complicity to receiving stolen property under $10,000 and complicity to arson, second degree.
For Trigg County, he’s charged with one count of murder, one count of kidnapping leading to a victim’s death, one count of second-degree arson, one count of tampering with physical evidence, one count of abuse of a corpse, and one count of burglary first degree related to Barnett’s death.
In another separate Trigg County incident, he has one count of tampering with physical evidence, one count of drug paraphernalia, one count of first-degree possession methamphetamine, one count of defrauding benefits greater than $10,000 and one count of displaying an illegal/altered registration plate.
