Murder/Arson suspect waives case to grand jury

The Elizabethtown man charged with Murder and Arson following a late October fire appeared in Hardin District Court Wednesday afternoon.

Dustin Caudill appeared before Judge Kimberly Schumate for a preliminary hearing. Caudill’s attorney, public defender Erin Hartman, said the hearing would not be necessary as Caudill was waiving his case to the Hardin County Grand Jury.

Judge Schumate said Caudill’s case will be reviewed by the grand jury, and should they choose to indict him on any of the felony charges he faces, his case will be moved to the Hardin Circuit Court. The judge said further decisions on bond will be made after the grand jury proceedings.

The Elizabethtown Police Department said Caudill confessed to shooting 41-year-old Blake France of Greenville and 43-year-old Anthony Garrett of Elizabethtown and then setting fire to the Henon Lane residence they were in on October 30. Caudill remains incarcerated at the Hardin County Detention Center on a $1 million bond.