A Cadiz man charged with the murder of a Trigg County woman on Will Jackson Road in September appeared for an arraignment in Trigg District Court Tuesday morning.
State Police say Jonathan McCoy is charged with the murder of Thelma Ilene Barnett and then setting her house on fire. According to the arrest warrant, McCoy is accused of tying Barnett’s hands behind her back, strangling her to death, and then setting fire to her home with her body still inside.
District Judge Natalie White read off the charges McCoy faces in connection to the death of Barnett.
Judge White entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of McCoy. When asked if he had an attorney, McCoy said he did not and added he would prefer Public Defender Eric Bearden.
Judge White set a preliminary hearing in the case for Tuesday morning, December 15, at 10:00.
Following the arraignment, McCoy and attorney HB Quinn appeared virtually for a preliminary hearing in another case. The hearing was for charges of tampering with physical evidence, first-degree possession of a controlled substance – meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, and false statement – misrepresent to receive benefits over $100 – EBT card.
The arrest for those charges came on September 22, five days after the fatal house fire that claimed the life of Thelma Barnett. Trigg County Sheriff’s Deputy Gary Hicks said the charges came following a traffic stop at the intersection of U.S. 68 and Blue Springs Road. Hicks added he pulled over McCoy because he knew he had active warrants on file against him after Kentucky State Police had been looking for him in connection to another crime.
During that traffic stop, McCoy allegedly admitted to officers the suspected meth was his. Upon further search, Hicks said an EBT card was reportedly found in his possession.
Quinn questioned Hicks on other things about the traffic stop, including who the passenger was and who the EBT card belonged to. Hicks couldn’t answer those questions and referred Quinn to read the arrest report.
After some further questioning and a personal phone call between McCoy and Quinn, McCoy alleged the benefits card obtained during the arrest was a WIC Card that reportedly belonged to his wife that was used for his daughter.
That case was bound to the Trigg County Grand Jury.
