PEMBROKE, Ky. (WTVF) — Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear announced today that a Christian County grand jury has indicted a man in connection with a 2015 triple murder.
According to the attorney general, Christian Martin has been indicted on three counts of murder, one count of arson, one count of attempted arson, burglary in the first degree and three counts of tampering with physical evidence.
Martin, an American Airlines pilot, was arrested Saturday at the Louisville International Airport as he was getting ready to board the plane.
The indictment comes from events that occurred either on or around November 18, 2015, when Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his Pembroke home. The bodies of Phillips' wife, Pamela, and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, were found in a burned up car owned by Mrs. Phillips a few miles away in a corn field.
Attorney General Beshear accepted a request to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case after he met with the family's son, Matt, nearly two years ago. In that meeting, the son said he was worried the case had stalled.
"I hope this is a day that brings some justice to these families," Beshear said. "There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families."
Martin was living in North Carolina at the time of the indictment, having moved there after the murders. He will be returned to Christian County while he waits for trial. A Christian County circuit court judge has ordered that he be held without bond.
On Monday, Beshear said although he couldn't elaborate on what led to the arrest, he believes "this will be a very compelling case."
In an interview with CNN, Matt Phillips said his father was killed before he could testify in a court-martial trial against Martin, CBS News reported.
Martin was booked in Christian County and held without bond. An arraignment has been set for May 22.
