Murder for hire suspect denied bond by judge

Following a lengthy hearing last week, a special judge has denied a Corbin man’s bid to be released from jail pending trial on accusations that he used an Internet website in a murder-for-hire scheme.

Special Judge Henry Johnson ruled that Tristan Hall, 30, would have to remain in jail without bond until he goes to trial. Hall 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.

He was initially scheduled to stand trial on the charge in early August, but that was before the Judge in the case, Paul Winchester, and prosecutor, Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble, both recused forcing the appointed of a special judge and prosecutor.

Hall and his girlfriend, Angela Gail Reeves, 25, were arrested on June 24 on eight counts of intimidating a participant in a legal process. They were accused of making numerous phone calls to Trimble’s office and making various threats.

During last week’s hearing, Halls attorney, Warren Scoville, said the nature of the threats did not constitute a violation of the law. He offered Judge Johnson a previous court opinion to back up his argument saying that the charge only applies to threats of death or injury.

“There’s no one that will say Mr. Trimble, in those phone calls, was threatened with death or injury,” Scoville said. “Those phone calls did not meet those criteria.”

The accusations are the main reason Hall is back in jail. Williamsburg Police went to his grandmother’s home in June, where he was staying on house arrest, to serve a search warrant and arrest warrant on him and Reeves for the intimidation charges.

While there, Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird testified that he discovered a pair of laptop computers and a printer/scanner combination unit on a table. He found receipts for the purchase of the items in Hall’s personal vehicle.

According to the non-financial conditions of Hall’s pre-trial release, he wasn’t to have any computers in his residence.

Scoville argued in court that the written order for the bond had been changed during an arraignment hearing in Whitley Circuit Court July 23. He claimed Winchester agreed to allow Hall to possess a computer in his home in order to take online course helping to prepare for the law school entry exam (LSAT). He said Trimble also agreed to the modification.

A video recording of the hearing was reviewed during the hearing and no oral modification of the bond conditions could be heard.

Special prosecutor Jackie Steele, who serves as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Knox and Laurel Counties, said since there was no proof that the bond conditions were ever modified, that Hall was in violation of them and should remain in jail.

Following his June arrest, Hall was also charged with hindering prosecution because he allegedly told police he had not seen Reeves “in three to four months” when they came to his grandmother’s home to locate her. Shortly thereafter, they found her hiding in a closet. She is currently free on bond.

Scoville noted during the hearing that the Whitley County grand jury had dismissed the intimidation charges because no evidence in the case had been presented within 60 days. Bird said he still planned to go ahead with prosecution on the charges and was going to present evidence to the grand jury at a future date.

Scoville wanted Hall’s bond rolled back to its original threshold of $75,000 fully secured. Steele opposed that.

In his final ruling from the bench, Johnson overruled the motion for a bond.

“I think computers in the home as well as the conduct giving rise to the charge of hindering prosecution are not circumstances that create the kind of trust on the part of the court that he would comply with conditions of any sort of home incarceration or ankle bracelet,” Johnson said from the bench.

Hall remains in custody at the Whitley County Detention Center. A trial date in the case has yet to be set.