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August 30, 2012

Shooting trial waived to grand jury

Corbin man charged with murder in death of Ryan Matthew Abner

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By Charlotte Underwood / Staff Writer

A Corbin man who was arrested for murder on Aug. 20 has had his case waived to the grand jury, according to Whitley County District Court documents.

Bill Cox, 55, of Corbin, is charged with murder in the death of Ryan Matthew Abner, 21, of Circle Drive in Corbin.

His preliminary hearing, which was set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Judge Cathy Prewitt’s courtroom, was waived to the grand jury, according to court officials. Though the next grand jury will meet on Sept. 5 and will return indictments on Sept 17, the investigation may not be completed by then, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble, who said he spoke to several officers involved in the case.

“It may be presented to the grand jury in October because the investigation is not completed as of yet,” Trimble said.

Cox was also charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment because his daughter and her child were inside a nearby vehicle at the time of the shooting.

Corbin Police received the call at 1:44 p.m. of shots being fired in the Forest Hills neighborhood, between a wooded area and a home outside 1107 Forest Circle Drive.

According to detectives Rusty Hedrick and Bill Rose of the Corbin Police Department, when they arrived at the scene, Cox had reported he had shot Abner, his daughter’s boyfriend. Hedrick added Cox was unsure if Abner was dead or alive.

Police said it was reported Cox fired multiple shots into a vehicle, a black Chevrolet SUV driven by Abner. Also in the SUV was Abner’s girlfriend and Cox’s daughter, who is a juvenile. She was riding in the front passenger seat while her child was in the backseat of the vehicle.

After police secured the scene, Whitley EMS and Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley arrived. The coroner pronounced Abner dead at the scene at 2:18 p.m. Croley said Abner died of multiple gunshot wounds from close range.

Cox is being held on $250,000 cash bond in the Whitley County Detention Center.

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