Facing an upcoming trial date in December, a Princeton man pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal with the Commonwealth during a pretrial conference in Caldwell County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Tommy Dunning is charged with murder in the death of Ursula Hamlet at a home on Coleman Crider Road during an altercation on November 22, 2021. According to Kentucky State Police Detectives, Hamlet was found in the home with a single gunshot wound to her neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene by County Coroner Dewayne Trafford.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Dunning, along with his attorney Steven Ellingsworth and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Chad Nelson, appeared before Circuit Judge Jamus Redd. Judge Redd proceeded to ask Dunning a series of questions regarding the guilty plea he was entering to the charges.
click to download audioJudge Redd also read the indictment and the Commonwealth’s offer of a prison sentence exceeding 20 years in exchange for the guilty plea.
click to download audioDunning is scheduled to return to Caldwell Circuit Court for formal sentencing on January 7, 2025.
