PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A man who went on a prolonged profanity-filled outburst in the middle of a court hearing last September has now been indicted for the tirade.

Jonathan Joseph Howell, 44, of Auxier, was arrested back in August for sending threats to a postal worker, then charged with witness intimidation for trying to get the postal worker to change his testimony.

During a preliminary hearing for the witness intimidation charge on Sept. 3, he was removed from the courtroom for an outburst, then continued to disrupt court by banging on the walls in his courthouse holding cell.

Howell appeared in court by video Sept. 10 for a contempt hearing for that outburst, and when District Judge Jimmy “Blue” Marcum announced he would hold him and sentence him to 90 days in jail, he interrupted the judge and began screaming and cursing for more than two minutes, calling himself “Jehovah” and referring to the judge and attorneys as “kangaroos.”

What he did not give Marcum a chance to say is that the sentence would be probated as long as he behaved in court. Instead, the judge decided to extend the sentence to six months, not probated, following the tirade.

But now Howell is facing felony charges for the outburst on top of the contempt finding. A grand jury indicted him on charges of retaliating against a participant in a legal process for threatening judge, as well as first-degree persistent felony offender.

The retaliation charge is usually punishable by 1-to-5 years in prison, but the persistent felony offender charge could enhance that sentence to 10-to-20 years.

Howell continues to be held in the Floyd County jail.

A video of the contempt hearing follows:

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Pike County man who was indicted over allegations he tried to kill three people by locking them in a burning trailer remains free and has now been featured as one of Kentucky State Police’s “Wanted Wednesday” public awareness campaign.

Marty Eugene Hurley, 50, of Stopover, was indicted in January on three counts of attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree arson. The arson charge is the most serious, carrying a potential sentence of 20 year-to-life in prison. Each of the remaining charges is punishable by 10-to-20 years in prison.

Hurley is accused of holding two women and a man at gunpoint with an AR-15-style rifle on May 30 and forcing them into a mobile home. Once inside, Hurley allegedly began setting fires and told them he would kill them if they tried to leave. He then reportedly left and barricaded the door. The victims escaped after he left, but suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns. One of the women had to be intubated due to severe smoke inhalation.

Because more than 60 days passed before he was indicted, Hurley was released from jail on Oct. 8. A warrant for his arrest was issued Jan. 21, but he has not been arrested since that time.

Hurley is described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with blue eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Kentucky State Police Post 9 in Pikeville at (606) 433-7711.

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A Floyd County man has now been indicted in connection with a deadly shooting back in November.

Joshua Gayheart, 35, of Beaver, was indicted this week on charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence.

The case involves the Nov. 21 shooting death of 35-year-old Sarah Paige Slone along Route 979 at Beaver.

At that time, when police responded to a report of an unresponsive woman, they arrested Gayheart after he allegedly admitted to tampering with evidence at the scene. Three days later, he was also charged with murder.

If convicted of murder, Gayheart will face a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison. He has been held on a $1 million bond since the murder charge was filed.

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Pike County grand jury has indicted a Stopover man for allegedly attempting to kill three people by locking them inside a burning trailer last spring.

Marty Hurley, 50, was indicted Wednesday on one count of first-degree arson, three counts of attempted murder and three counts of kidnapping. The arson charge is the most serious, carrying a potential sentence of 20 year-to-life in prison. Each of the remaining charges is punishable by 10-to-20 years in prison.

As Mountain Top News reported at the time, Hurley is accused of holding two women and a man at gunpoint with an AR-15-style rifle on May 30 and forcing them into a mobile home. Once inside, Hurley allegedly began setting fires and told them he would kill them if they tried to leave. He then reportedly left and barricaded the door.

The victims escaped after he left, but suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns. One of the women had to be intubated due to severe smoke inhalation.

Because more than 60 days passed before he was indicted, Hurley was released from jail on Oct. 8. The prosecution has asked that a warrant be issued for his arrest.

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Pike County man has been indicted, following a shooting death back in April.

Paul David Coleman, 58, of Meta, was indicted Wednesday by a Pike County grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter.

The charge stems from an incident on April 5, when police say Coleman was involved in an altercation with Greeley “Bacon” Hurley, 30, of Stopover, in a business parking lot along Route 319 at Belfry, when Hurley was shot. He was pronounced dead when he arrived at Tug Valley ARH.

No arrests were made immediately following the shooting. At the time, Kentucky State Police said they would present the results of their investigation to a grand jury to consider whether or not to file criminal charges.

A person can be charged with second-degree manslaughter for wantonly causing the death of another person. It carries a sentence of 5-to-10 years in prison if convicted.

Coleman is not currently in custody, but the special prosecutor over the case has asked that a warrant be issued for his arrest.

Coleman is currently on bond after being charged with theft in Floyd County last week. He is scheduled to be arraigned in that case Dec. 10.

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INEZ, Ky. — A Lexington woman has been indicted in Martin County after being accused of smuggling drugs into the federal prison during visiting hours by hiding them in her 10-year-old daughter’s pocket.

Shakaree Carter, 35, is charged with unlawful transaction with a minor, promoting contraband and possession of marijuana. The incident in question happened in April, but Carter was not indicted until July and not arrested on the indictment warrant until Monday.

Court records indicate Carter went to the prison with her daughter to visit Anthony King, and prison staff were keeping an eye on her because they thought she had been acting suspiciously. While the staff watched, the child stood close to King and he reached into her pocket, took something out and placed it in his mouth, trying to shield his actions with the child’s body.

Prison staff intervened and learned that the object was a rubber glove containing 15 Suboxone strips.

Of the charges she is now facing, unlawful transaction with a minor is the most serious, carrying a sentence of 10-to-20 years in prison, if she is convicted.

Carter is scheduled to appear in Martin Circuit Court for arraignment Nov. 20.

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ABINGDON, Va. — A southwestern Virginia prison guard has been indicted over accusations that he assaulted an inmate back three years ago.

Wallens Ridge State Prison correctional officer David McMurry is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law. He is accused of using handcuffs to repeatedly strike a prisoner in the head back in June of 2022.

Because he allegedly used a dangerous weapon and the incident injured the inmate, McMurry faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted.

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PIKEVILLE, Ky, — A West Virginia man has been arrested, after being indicted by a Pike County grand jury for stealing a concession trailer.

Mont David Bryant, 46, of Mount Gay, W.Va., was indicted back in March, but was not arrested until Monday. He is charged with theft over $10,000 and first-degree criminal mischief. He is accused of stealing a concession trailer back in February and causing more than $500 in damage to it.

The theft charge is the most serious, carrying a potential sentence of 10-to-20 years in prison. That penalty is double the usual sentence, because the theft occurred during a declared disaster.

Bryant is being held without bond in the Pike County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Oct. 10.

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A Floyd County man accused of threatening a postal employee has been indicted in that case, as well as a new one.

Jonathan Joseph Howell, 43, of Auxier, was originally arrested back in August for allegedly threatening to shoot up the post office and kill a postal worker and his family. He was later charged in another case with threatening the same postal worker in an attempt to get him to change his testimony.

A grand jury indicted him in those two cases, charging him with second-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree terroristic threatening, intimidating a participant in the legal process, and persistent felony offender.

He likely would have faced no more than five years in prison for the charges, but the persistent felony offender charge could stretch that to 10-to-20 years.

In addition, Howell was also indicted on charges of promoting contraband, meth possession and persistent felony offender for having meth in jail. That case could also result in a sentence of 10-to-20 years.

Still outstanding is another case related to an outburst in the courtroom, during which he allegedly threatened to kill Floyd District Judge Jimmy “Blue” Marcum. That case could be sent to a grand jury as soon as Thursday.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Mingo County sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury for not keeping his registration current.

Rodney Luke Thomas, 32, of Matewan, was indicted Tuesday on a single count of failure to register and update his registration as a sex offender. Thomas was convicted in 2014 of third-degree sexual assault of a minor in Mingo County.

The National Sex Offender Registry lists him as an inmate in the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem. A warrant has been issued to have him transferred to Charleston to answer the charge.

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