Lawyers for Dustin Caudill, the Elizabethtown man accused of shooting and killing two men and then setting the Henon Lane residence they were in on fire in October 2024, made their case for the removal of death penalty consideration in Caudill’s upcoming murder trial.
The defense called two witnesses during a hearing in Hardin Circuit Court Wednesday. The first was Dr. Jean Hinkebein, who is currently a military psychologist at Fort Campbell. Hinkebien testified that she was Caudill’s therapist at the Central Kentucky Treatment Center when he was brought in at 15 or 16 years old, stating that he struggled with mood symptoms, and Hinkebein said she was worried about Caudill going from juvenile to adult facilities because she did not think he was “criminally minded”.
Hinkebien said when Caudill entered the Department of Corrections as an adult he was depressed and “pretty well shut down emotionally” and noted he made a suicide attempt in 1998. Hinkebein said she diagnosed Caudill with post-traumatic stress disorder, based on childhood trauma, while he was under her care.
The defense’s second witness was neuropsychologist Dr. Sidney Binks, who testified that based on his interviews with Caudill, behavioral analysis, and review of his medical history, he “concluded that he does have a severe, serious mental illness” and diagnosed him with severe bipolar disorder with psychotic features and anxious distress. Binks testified that Caudill’s medical history shows he was first diagnosed as bipolar in 1996, with the diagnosis being noted multiple times between then and 2023.
When asked if Caudill meets the criteria for state statutes, Binks said: “My opinion is very solid in believing that he had a mental illness, that it was involved in the commission of the incident offense, and that he meets the standard as written.”
9th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney Shane Young said his office needed time to request specific documents in the case. The commonwealth will proceed with its arguments on the defense’s motion when the court reconvenes for another hearing on February 26.
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