The Commonwealth’s case against 29-year-old Keisha Stewart took a unique turn during Wednesday’s Trigg County Circuit Court hearing, when it was announced public defender Mary Rohrer has been conflicted out on two of Stewart’s indictments.
According to fellow public defender Cody Hooks, Stewart will now be represented on one indictment by Princeton’s Matt Schalk, and two other indictments by Murray’s Chip Adams — in what will be three separate cases.
Stewart was indicted by the Trigg County Grand Jury in March with charges of burglary in the second degree, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and arson in the second degree in connection with the September 16, 2020, murder of Thelma “Illene” Barnett of Will Jackson Road in Cadiz.
Stewart’s charges of burglary in the second degree and tampering with physical evidence are different incidents, and not related to the Barnett murder.
Stewart will be a co-defendant alongside another accused in Barnett’s murder, Jonathan R. McCoy, and will next appear at 2:15 p.m., September 8 for all three cases.
Commonwealth Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins offered clarifications and corrections to this original story. It is the News Edge’s desire to remain accurate and thorough.
