GUILTY KY - Three people slain in Danville pawn shop robbery, 20 Sept 2013

[noZme]

Adding to my earlier post:
On the other hand, the suspect may not have known Mr Smith at all. He may only have had knowledge that the buyer would be coming to the store. That information could have come from anywhere. I hope investigators know much more than we know.

 

[blackappy]

It's very bothersome that there has been very little progress made on this.
I wish the authorities would release more info on the "gray or silver colored van" they are looking for.
Incidentally, google maps shows a similar colored van in the alley of this same Pawn Shop before it was sold to the new owners, the Hockensmiths:
http://goo.gl/maps/sVSwb

I'm guessing the van pictured is the previous owner's vehicle, but you never know...

 

[Reader]

I've rechecked all the links and did a seach, no new articles or info. found. Will post this again:

Danville police are seeking information about the suspect in Friday's triple homicide. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has offered a $10,000 reward. People with information should call Danville police at (859) 238-1220 or (859) 238-1224.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/09/23/2839123/danville-police-say-pawn-shop.html#storylink=cpy

 

[AuburnPoet]

http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/Pastor-Charged-in-Danville-Pawn-Shop-Killings-227139721.html

"Police say a south-central Kentucky pastor has been arrested and charged with murder in the Sept. 20 triple slaying at a Danville pawn shop.

Keith is pastor at Main Street Baptist Church in Burnside and has a gold-buying business in Somerset."


They have searched the church, home and his business.

 

[AuburnPoet]

Tony Hockensmith, Michael Hockensmith's brother, said Keith was a former pastor of Michael Hockensmith and was the former owner of the pawn shop where the shooting occurred.

Tony Hockensmith said his brother bought the business from Keith a few months ago after managing the business for Keith for two years. Tony Hockensmith said he thought Keith had struggled financially and had to sell the business.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/09/2868201/police-make-arrest-in-danville.html#storylink=cpy

another article
http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/...ent-thrif-shop-triple-homicide-227126181.html



another one:
http://www.wave3.com/story/23650476/minister-arrested-in-connection-to-triple-murder


and another one:
http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews...cle_43b5d1e4-312b-11e3-bc0d-001a4bcf6878.html


there are other articles out there but pretty much all have same info and I didn't see the need to post them all.

 

[Reader]

Thanks, AuburnPoet!

I haven't read all the articles but WOW! I think that guy was even quoted in a few previous articles.

So glad he was caught!

 

[jadejazzkayla]

It's very bothersome that there has been very little progress made on this.
I wish the authorities would release more info on the "gray or silver colored van" they are looking for.
Incidentally, google maps shows a similar colored van in the alley of this same Pawn Shop before it was sold to the new owners, the Hockensmiths:
http://goo.gl/maps/sVSwb

I'm guessing the van pictured is the previous owner's vehicle, but you never know...

wow blackappy you really nailed it.

 

[blackappy]

wow blackappy you really nailed it.

Thanks! I'm still not convinced he did it, but he was on the top of my "need to interview" list.

 

[noZme]

Boyle Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms; "I'm 100 percent convinced that Mr. Keith did this, so I feel confident going forward with the prosecution of the case".

Keith knew "the number of wounds sustained by one of the victims" and "details pertaining to the robbery of the business and its occupants,"

Keith's physical appearance matched numerous witness descriptions. His automobile was captured on surveillance nearby. Keith also had 90+ thousand dollars in past-due credit card debt & was ticked that Hockensmith had begun selling his gold to Smith.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/10/2869269/pastor-charged-in-danville-homicides.html#storylink=cpy

 

[blackappy]

Boyle Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms; "I'm 100 percent convinced that Mr. Keith did this, so I feel confident going forward with the prosecution of the case".

Keith knew "the number of wounds sustained by one of the victims" and "details pertaining to the robbery of the business and its occupants,"

Keith's physical appearance matched numerous witness descriptions. His automobile was captured on surveillance nearby. Keith also had 90+ thousand dollars in past-due credit card debt & was ticked that Hockensmith had begun selling his gold to Smith.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/10/2869269/pastor-charged-in-danville-homicides.html#storylink=cpy

As we all know, there are -at least- two sides to every story:
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/11/2871157/pastors-attorney-says-wrong-guy.html

 

[blackappy]

An anonymous man in Michigan is the one who tipped police off after seeing Facebook posts about the murders. Something doesn't feel right about this, but I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a sprint, rather a marathon.

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/14/2876672/warrants-provide-more-details.html

 

[MissJ]

JMO, a lot of locals don't think the person arrested is the guilty party although he was certainly in town around the time this happened. According to local news reports no evidence was found at K's residence. Of course it could be bad reporting. There has been another person who was of interest before K. was arrested. He apparently left town around the time of the murders and is living in a town an hour away. The phone call from Michigan is suspicious, to me. BTW, OT the lady who was killed on Gose Pike by a car....someone has been arrested. Thank God for that. All JMO.

 

[Tulessa]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/20/shooting-near-centre-college/2842427/

DANVILLE, Ky. — Three people are dead and most of a central Kentucky town was on lockdown for two hours Friday after an apparent robbery at a pawn shop here.

The shooter remains on the loose, but Danville Police Chief Tony Gray said authorities lifted the lockdown because no other shootings had occurred, leading them to believe no other people were in danger.

Two men and a woman, one of them a customer, died inside ABC Gold Games & More pawn shop, Gray said.

Two children, a 9-year-old and 20-month-old, were inside the store when the shooting occurred, he said. The older child called 911 at around 9:15 a.m. ET.........

Just hearing of this. Too close to home

 

[OkieGranny]

Video at link:

http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/r...s-one-year-later/41151/YzrS5Jq7jUm2Iaq-jszhmQ

Family and friends gathered at the Somerset Fountain Square Saturday to remember three people who were killed in Danville one year ago...

Kenneth Keith, a former pastor from Burnside, is charged with the murders. He'll be back in court in October.

 

[Reader]

This article is from last Dec. but lists some of the evidence that led the judge to deny bond
at the time:

Peel said police found a .22-caliber shell casing inside Gold Rush Gold Buyers in Somerset, operated by Keith, that matched casings found at ABC Gold Games & More, where the three were killed. That evidence was released previously in an affidavit by Peel. (He said autopsy findings suggested a larger-caliber weapon, such as a .38-caliber, might have been used in addition to a .22-caliber gun.)

Peel also testified that money bands and a receipt that had belonged to Daniel Smith, the gold broker, were found at the Somerset store.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/12/02/2965349/judge-refuses-bond-for-minister.html#storylink=cpy

-------

From 1/14:

Prosecutor to seek death penalty for minister charged in Danville pawn shop killings
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/30/3061207/prosecutor-to-seek-death-penalty.html#storylink=cpy

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/05/05/3836856_hearing-set-to-determine-if-ex.html?rh=1

A hearing has been scheduled for June 8 to determine whether a former Pulaski County preacher is competent to stand trial in the September 2013 shooting deaths of three people at a Danville pawn shop...

Kenneth Allen Keith was recently evaluated at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in La Grange.

 

[MissJ]

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/05/05/3836856_hearing-set-to-determine-if-ex.html?rh=1

There are two death penalty cases in Boyle County currently. It is typical here to have the accused evaluated for a death penalty case.

 

[OkieGranny]

Earlier this month:

http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews...cle_f062c93f-743d-54b5-92c1-14ea969a239b.html

Keith, charged with gunning down three people during a robbery at a Danville pawn shop two years ago, testified about his relationship with Tracy Herald, a long-time friend and fellow Baptist preacher who provided crucial information to police that led to Keith’s arrest.

Herald was in the courtroom as well... to testify about phone conversations with Keith, formerly the pastor at Main Street Baptist Church in Burnside, that led him to believe his friend was involved in the brutal killings.

The two preachers took turns on the witness stand during the four-hour suppression hearing on a motion by Keith’s attorneys in hopes of preventing Herald from testifying at Keith’s yet to be scheduled trial.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews...586-fdec-5307-81cc-6613fe0c5379.html?mode=jqm

Boyle Circuit Judge Darren Peckler on Friday denied a defense motion to suppress Tracy Herald's testimony on the grounds that four conversations between Keith and Herald were confidential and privileged because Keith confided in Herald as his pastor...

After learning of the murders on Facebook, Herald testified he called Keith “to love on him and encourage him” in the wake of the murders. The conversation proceeded as expected until Herald put forth a theory that it appeared the crime “was a hit on the gold guy and that the Hockensmiths were innocent victims,” according to court testimony.

“His tone changed completely,” Herald said. “He yelled, ‘They ain’t innocent. They cost me a lot of money.’” Keith told Herald the Hockensmiths “stole my business” by reporting violations of workers compensation laws, Herald testified.

 

[0101ABA]

A former Kentucky pastor accused of killing three people is due in court Tuesday afternoon.

(...)

A judge is now deciding if a conversation Keith had with a pastor after the murders will be allowed as evidence.

Keith admitted he was upset about his business relationship with the Hockensmiths, but he maintained his innocence.

http://m.wlky.com/news/Former-Kentucky-pastor-charged-in-triple-murder-due-in-court/39354740