A former Fort Campbell Army major accused of killing a couple and their neighbor in Pembroke in 2015 appeared in Christian County Circuit Court Thursday morning where another hearing was set to address a motion to dismiss the case filed by his defense attorney.
Christian “Kit” Martin is charged with three counts of complicity to murder, arson, attempted arson, second-degree burglary, and three counts of complicity of tampering with physical evidence. He is accused of shooting and killing Calvin and Pam Phillips and Ed Dansereau in November 2015.
Martin and his defense attorney Tom Griffiths, along with Assistant Attorney Generals Alexander Garcia and Barbara Whaley appeared virtually before Chief Circuit Judge John Atkins.
During the court appearance, Griffiths said he had filed a motion to dismiss the case and requested Judge Atkins set another hearing date but Whaley disagreed.
Judge Atkins set the hearing for Monday, December 14, at 9;00. The judge also said if there were any other issues that need to be addressed by either side, including any other motions or notices to be considered, they do so at the December hearing.
In August, Judge Atkins granted a change of venue and set a trial date. The trial will be held in Hardin County and is set to begin May 31st and continue for about five weeks.
Martin, a former commercial pilot, was arrested in May 2019 at the Louisville airport on a sealed indictment returned by the Christian County Grand Jury in the shooting deaths of the Phillips and Dansereau. Police said Calvin Phillips was found shot to death inside his home on South Main Street in Pembroke, and the bodies of his wife Pam and their neighbor were found with gunshot wounds in a burned-out car in a cornfield on Rosetown Road a few miles from the victim’s homes.
Martin remains lodged in the Christian County Jail under a $3 million bond.
