Trial for double homicide canceled

Published 10:12 am Friday, April 12, 2019

The May trial is off for the four alleged participants in a 2017 shooting that left two 16-year-old girls dead.

The four alleged shooters, Denzel Hill, Darian Skinner, Ronnie Ellis and Matthew Carmen, were all scheduled to begin a trial May 13 in Clark Circuit Court, though all participated in a felony mediation session as well.

Thursday, Clark Circuit Judge Jean Chenault Logue canceled the trial date, but agreed to use the date for attorneys to work on a number of motions and issues, including whether agreements reached in mediation can be withdrawn and whether to try the two remaining suspects separately.

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Thursday, attorneys for Ellis and Hill said they wanted to move forward with the agreements reached during mediation. Prosecutors, though, wanted to withdraw those agreements and offers after the two did not meet agreed conditions.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Heidi Engel and Charles Johnson said part of the agreement from mediation including testifying truthfully at trial and being interviewed by police detectives. After comparing the statements from the interviews with existing information in the case, Johnson and Engel said Hill and Ellis were not truthful and left gaps in their accounts.

“They weren’t forthcoming,” Engel said.

Skinner, they said, never appeared for the interview and Carmen did not accept the agreement from mediation.

Carmen’s attorney said he would ask that the trials be severed.

Carmen, Ellis, Skinner and Hill are all charged with two counts of murder.

At this point, Logue said the trial would likely be in September or November.

Police said Ellis, Hill and Skinner arrived at an apartment building at 27 E. Washington St. on Nov. 7, 2017, in a vehicle driven by Mikaela Buford. The three allegedly got out of the car, starting walking across the parking lot, drew firearms and started shooting.

Police said Carmen was in an apartment and returned fire.

During the incident, Kayla Holland and Adreanna Castro were killed. Police believe the shooting stemmed from an altercation earlier in the day.

Buford pleaded guilty in March to two counts of facilitation to commit murder and one count of complicity to first-degree wanton endangerment. She was scheduled to be sentenced to 11 years Thursday, but her sentencing hearing was continued until May 16.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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