A second person has pleaded not guilty in connection with the July 12 stabbing of a man at a motel in southern Laurel County.
Jonathan Wood, 34, address undetermined, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree assault during his arraignment in Laurel District Court.
During Monday’s hearing, Judge John Paul Chappell appointed the public advocate’s office to represent Wood, scheduled an Aug. 4 preliminary hearing in his case and increased his bond from $50,000 cash to $100,000 cash.
On Friday, Laurel Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Lewis served Wood with an arrest warrant charging him in the case and booked him into the Laurel County Correctional Center at 3:29 p.m. Friday.
The incident happened at approximately 3:32 p.m. on July 12.
Laurel Sheriff’s Detective Taylor McDaniel reviewed camera footage at the Super 8 Motel and observed three men get out of a white Honda Civic. The three men went to room 217 and kicked the door open. During the altercation, a man was stabbed in the back with a large knife causing serious physical injury, McDaniel wrote in Wood’s arrest warrant.
After the stabbing, the suspects fled the scene.
Investigators have not released a motive for the stabbing.
Within 30 minutes of posting still images of the suspects on the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page on July 12, deputies received multiple tips about the identity of the three suspects and were able to make a positive identification.
At approximately 11:50 p.m. on July 13, deputies arrested Joseph Middleton, 19, of Damon Circle, Corbin, charging him with first-degree assault and first-degree burglary.
Middleton has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Middleton was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in his case Monday in Laurel District Court.
He waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday in exchange for his bond being reduced from $50,000 cash to $5,000. It is unclear based upon court records whether the new bond is $5,000 fully secured or a $5,000 property bond.
A $5,000 fully secured bond means Middleton would have to put up $5,000 cash, $10,000 worth of property or a combination of the two to be released from custody. A $5,000 property bond would mean Middleton could be released from jail after putting up $5,000 worth of property.
He was ordered to appear in Laurel Circuit Court on Aug. 21 to see whether the Laurel County Grand Jury issues an indictment in his case.
Authorities have identified the third suspect in the case and more arrests are expected, according to a release by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
