A Princeton man accused of fatally shooting his wife had his pretrial conference rescheduled to December during a Tuesday appearance in Caldwell County Circuit Court.
Byron Black and his public defender, Mary Rohrer, appeared before Judge Jamus Redd, along with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jill Giordano. Rohrer requested another hearing date, citing the need for additional time as they are still awaiting test results.
click to download audioJudge Redd set the pretrial conference for December 3.
Black is charged with murder and abuse of a corpse. He’s accused of shooting his wife, Kelly Black, in the back of the head sometime after detectives said he picked her up from the Nashville airport, where she had flown in from California.
Princeton Police reported that officers discovered Kelly’s body during a welfare check at a Center Street home on January 28. An Amber Alert was issued shortly thereafter when law enforcement could not locate the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who was believed to be with her father, Byron.
During the investigation, Princeton Police said officers located Black’s pickup truck at a Princeton hotel, where he was taken into custody on a warrant and the child was found safe. During a preliminary hearing, a detective with Kentucky State Police said they also discovered a handgun inside Black’s truck at the hotel.
During Black’s court appearance in August, Judge Redd set a trial date beginning September 15, 2025. He remains lodged in the Caldwell County Jail under a $1 million bond.
