On Oct. 27, Circuit Court Judge Scott Jackson presided over a suppression hearing in the case regarding Chris Kevin Butler, accused in the Feb. 19 shooting death of John Catlin Keck just north of Eureka Springs.
Defense attorney Joe Tobler of Little Rock had questioned the timing of when Carroll County authorities delivered Miranda Rights to Butler and whether investigators had continued questioning Butler after he asked for an attorney.
Tobler and Carroll County Prosecutor Tony Rogers questioned five witnesses, all Carroll County Sheriff’s Office employees who had responded to the scene on the evening of February 19, two who also conducted the subsequent jail interrogation of Butler.
Tobler had requested suppression of all parts of that interrogation.
Rogers cited case law exonerating actions of the officers at the scene and in the interrogation room. Jackson asked him if he had further case law and Rogers said he did. Jackson asked Rogers to produce copies for him and Tobler, and said he would rule on the suppression request at the pre-trial hearing on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at 1 p.m.
Trial date is set for March 27-29, 2017.