A Plymouth man suspected of murdering a woman at a Plymouth residence on Sunday, June 28 appeared for an initial hearing in Marshall County Superior Court No. 1 on Tuesday afternoon.
Duane Longacre, 35, allegedly hit Jill McCarty on the head with a machete and then stabbed her on both sides of her neck in a bedroom at a Plum Street home and drug her body into a bathtub. He then reportedly started a fire at the residence.
An autopsy was conducted on Tuesday and those results are pending.
Longacre appeared virtually in court Tuesday afternoon while being detained at the Marshall County Jail surrounded by five officers. He is charged with murder, arson as a Level 4 Felony and resisting law enforcement as a Class A misdemeanor.
After reading the charges to Longacre, Longacre said that he knowingly and intentionally killed something, “but it wasn’t a human being.”
Judge Robert O. Bowen told Longacre that he would appoint Tom Black as his attorney. Longacre, who used profanity when speaking during court, told Judge Bowen that he would plead guilty at that very moment and “not waste any more time”. Judge Bowen replied that Longacre would need to consult with his attorney on how to proceed in his case. Longacre again attempted to submit his plea of guilty. Judge Bowen advised Longacre that he wanted to be sure that his attorney reviews and protects his rights and that Longacre understands his rights.
With that, the judge set several court dates with the next being a first pre-trial conference on July 15 at 9 a.m. in Marshall County Superior Court No. 1.
Following the hearing, Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman limited his comments to the media as to what was included in the probable cause affidavit. He did commend the Plymouth Police Department for their swiftness in responding to the scene, their investigation and all who contributed to the investigation. He added that he feels sympathy for the victim’s family and that nobody deserves to go in that manner.
