Following a lengthy, testy motion hearing Tuesday morning, Christian County Circuit Judge John Atkins ordered for new, or additional, counsel be ID’d in the defense of Bobby Spikes by Friday — lest further proceedings devolve like this one did.
Charged in the December 2021 double murder of Stanley Bussell and Candace Marcel, Spikes has for months sought replacement of his public defender Eric Bearden — only for Bearden to remain steadfast in his assignment from the Department of Public Advocacy.
The verbal exchanges between the two, however, have only drawn the ire of Atkins. Bearden said two other potential people will be involved with Spikes’ defense, but neither have been assigned.
Spikes also complained that his hearings were being held “in secret.”
He also urged that officers had stolen more than $1,600 of “his money” not ruled evidentiary, and that he hadn’t been able to review much, if any, of his discovery because of encryption issues on devices provided.
Atkins called that an issue that needed to be rectified sooner, rather than later, with Spikes fully directing himself toward Special Prosecutor Blake Chambers.
Tuesday’s theatrics overshadowed the fact Atkins overruled Spikes’ desire to deny geo-fencing data and expert witness testimony being provided virtually, and that those records will be admissible once a trial finally begins.
Atkins said he expects to hear from Department of Public Advocacy Western Regional Manager James Chamberlain “soon” on all of these matters, and the next pretrial conference was set for noon October 14.
Bussell’s body was found at Marcel’s Hopkinsville home December 2021. Marcel’s body, meanwhile, was located in a car in eastern Trigg County later that day. Police said both victims had been shot, with Marcel reportedly Spikes’ former girlfriend.
