Request for public defender denied again

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Joshua Maylee still doesn’t have a lawyer, and his request for a public defender was declined a second time during a counsel status hearing Friday in Callaway County Court.

Josh Maylee Transferred to Boone County

Maylee, 23, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree assault with serious physical injury, following shootings on Oct. 26 and 27 near Holts Summit.

Eugene Pinet, 48, his wife, Jackie Pinet, 57, and Jeff Werdehausen, 46, all died.

Werdehausen’s wife, Gina, 41, also was shot, but survived the Oct. 26 attack at their farm east of Holts Summit and north of Tebbetts.

The Pinets were killed Oct. 27 at their home west of Holts Summit.

Officials have said Maylee and the victims were connected by past dealings, but they have not elaborated.

Maylee, who is being held in Boone County and appeared Friday via videoconference, requested an explanation for not being assigned a public defender.

After Maylee’s application for a public defender was made Oct. 29, the public defender’s office found that Maylee had $60,000 of assets in a bank account and several thousands of dollars worth of lawn equipment, public defender Justin Carver told the court Friday.

After Maylee applied for assistance a second time, Carver told Associate Circuit Judge Carol England, the public defender’s office found the $60,000 had been removed from Maylee’s account and turned over to another person.

The staff of the public defender’s office understood some of the equipment Maylee possessed may have been stolen, but believed Maylee still had some assets, Carver said.

“He was in the position to have the money, but chose not to use it for counsel and to use it for something else,” Carver said. “If that is the route we want to take, even (Microsoft founder) Bill Gates could qualify for a public defender if he signed over his assets to another person.”

England advised Maylee to find outside counsel before a Dec. 23 hearing.

An attorney did step forward for Maylee in his theft case, but said she expected to be only a substitute attorney for other charges.

More like this story

TheRickster 2 years, 6 months ago

They said on the news that this man has over $60,000.00 Really?

justwondering 2 years, 6 months ago

items that he has owned are not paid for he had loans so how can it be his im sure once pymts arent made the items will be taken lawn equipment? or money in an act that he has given someone? which one they dont make much sense in the article so is it known that he has $ or just a guess? this is all so shady the cops cant be trusted either its sad... we look to law for protection and service and we get cover ups there is something seriously wrong with this whole ordel and someone knows what it is way more to the story then we are hearing......

justwondering 2 years, 6 months ago

you must hear the whole story people are only hearing part of it there is an investigation still going on for some "think" or suspect that law enforcement was involved too I believe many have heard this as well so are they sure he has the $ or are they guessing they say he has equipment but then they say its stolen so its not really his and its not paid for so that will do no good for him. I'm sure before Dec 23 he will have an attorney well they say he has to or court will be postponed again

justwondering 2 years, 6 months ago

Callaway County Prosecutor Bob Sterner said the cases against Maylee are frozen until he gets some legal representation.

“These are charges that we are not going to be able to proceed in court on without him being represented," Sterner said. "He needs a lawyer. He’s facing 3 first-degree murder cases and one first-degree case. He has to have a lawyer before we can go any further.”

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