MINGO, W.Va. –A Mingo County judge says he won’t rule on a change of venue motion for the trial of man accused of fatally shooting a state trooper until after he looks into prospective jurors being questioned by the court.

Timothy Kennedy, of Matewan, faces a five-count indictment including the murder of West Virginia State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard. Maynard had responded to a shooting incident in the Beech Creek area of Mingo County in 2023, when Kennedy allegedly shot him.

Kennedy’s defense attorneys had requested the case be moved to McDowell County. This came after a survey showed that out of 300 jurors, 75% of them had heard about the trooper’s murder and 86% had already thought that Kennedy was guilty.

Judge Joshua Butcher said his ruling, which was made during a hearing on Monday,

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