A trial date has finally be set for the second of two suspects in a 2014 Letcher County murder case.

31-year-old Patrick Smith, of Pikeville, will stand trial at the end of summer of this year. According to court documents, a September 17th trial date has been set for Smith, who is accused of acting in complicity with James Huffman IV to kill 24-year-old Michael Hogg on New Year’s Day 2014.

In December, Huffman was convicted of stabbing Hogg to death during the course of a fight that started over a stolen bottle of whiskey, that also resulted in two other men being stabbed. Both Huffman and Smith were arrested together in Whitesburg just hours after the incident that led to Hogg’s death.

A jury in Letcher County found Huffman guilty of murder and several counts of attempted murder. He was ultimately sentenced in January to life in prison.

The defense in Huffman’s case argued that bias existed in Letcher County against Huffman and Smith, but they were denied a request for a change of venue and Huffman’s three-week-long trial stayed in Letcher Circuit Court, wrapping up just before Christmas.

According to court documents, Smith’s defense team is also seeking to get the case moved out of Letcher County. A motion for a change of venue has been filed by Smith’s defense team, and a hearing on that motion is set for April 4th.

According to court documents, Smith’s trial is expected to take about 15 days.

Additionally, court documents indicate that the prosecution in the case is seeking to obtain Smith’s military records for his time serving in the United States Marine Corps. Court documents said those records have yet to be delivered by the Department of the Navy.

Smith has been held in custody for more than four years. By the time he goes to trial, he will have been in jail in Letcher and Pike counties for more than 56 months.

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