Prosecutor, judge bow out of Topix murder-for-hire case

 A Corbin man will be getting a new prosecutor and a new judge in his criminal solicitation to commit murder case, and could be facing additional legal charges next month.

Tristan Hall, 30, is charged with criminal solicitation to commit murder in connection with a Jan. 10, 2013, incident where he allegedly advertised on the popular website Topix that he would pay someone $5,000 cash for the murder of Melissa Jones Davis and the concealment of her body.

A person familiar with the investigation said the victim was acquainted with Hall through a mutual friend but was not friends with him.

Hall’s Aug. 6 trial date in that case will be postponed because Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble and Circuit Judge Paul Winchester are recusing themselves for different reasons.

"Mr. Hall has a pending case in district court that will be presented to the grand jury," Trimble told Winchester during Monday’s hearing.

Hall and his girlfriend, Angela Gail Reeves, 25, were arrested on June 24 on eight counts of intimidating a participant in a legal process.

"The allegations arise from a series of phone calls made to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office in which different kinds of threats were communicated to me personally and one of which was left on an answering machine," Trimble said during a recent interview. "The calls concern the criminal charges pending against Tristan Hall."

Hall and Reeves’ case was waived to a Whitley County Grand Jury earlier this month, which could take up the case as early as Aug. 4.

Trimble noted that several of his office staff will be witnesses in the intimidation case.

Winchester noted that he will also be recusing himself as judge in Hall’s cases.

During an April 29 hearing, Winchester advised attorneys for both sides that on April 23, a young lady rang the doorbell at his house and handed him an eight-page stack of documents telling him, "that is for your information."

The woman then left. Winchester said the documents didn’t relate to any other case he has besides Hall’s case.

Winchester noted in court that he believes Reeves is the person who delivered the documents to his home which is the reason he is recusing in the case.

Winchester said he would wait to recuse himself until after signing the order allowing Trimble to recuse so that it didn’t delay the court proceedings any longer than necessary.

Also during Monday’s hearing, Trimble noted that Hall could be facing an additional charge.

"The Department of Insurance has indicated that they have another case they are going to present against Mr. Hall," Trimble told Winchester Monday.

Trimble noted in his motion to recuse that the Department of Insurance case involves both Hall and Reeves and allegations of insurance fraud.

Trimble filed a notice on June 13 that he planned to introduce evidence of "other crimes, wrongs or acts" during the murder solicitation trial to prove either motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge and/or identity.

"In order to raise money to finance the cost of the murder for hire plot that the defendant advertised, the defendant filed a fraudulent insurance claim wherein he claimed that an expensive fur coat was stolen in order to recover a substantial insurance settlement," Trimble wrote in the notice.

The claim prompted an investigation by the Department of Insurance, Trimble noted.

So far Hall’s attorney, Warren Scoville, hasn’t filed a response to the motion about the fur coat.

Trimble and Winchester both indicated that they are recusing from all of Hall’s cases.

Scoville wasn’t present for Monday’s hearing, but filed a response on July 18 to Trimble’s motion noting that he had no objection to Trimble recusing himself.

Towards the close of Monday’s hearing, Hall asked how long it would take to get a new prosecutor and new judge in his case.

Winchester responded that he and Trimble would file the paperwork but he isn’t sure how long it will take.

Hall then asked whether it would be a few days, and Winchester indicated that he wasn’t sure.

As Hall was escorted from the courtroom after the nearly three minute hearing, he turned to his grandparents and said, "I love you."

Hall and Reeves are currently incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 cash bonds in the witness intimidation case.

A motion Trimble filed last month to set aside Hall’s bond in the murder solicitation case wasn’t discussed during Monday’s hearing.