Category: Court News

KINGMAN – An ex-con residing in Golden Valley is being sent back to the Arizona Department of Corrections for his admitted involvement in sale of methamphetamine. Mohave County Judge Billy Sipe ordered a 15-year prison term Tuesday for John Holcomb, 57. Holcomb is one of roughly two dozen defendants indicted for their alleged involvement in two Kingman-based Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO’s) that were the focus of the multi-agency Operation King Crimson investigation. Judge Sipe called Holcomb’s a very serious conspiracy case connected to a large-scale methamphetamine distribution ring. Sipe noted that Holcomb once purchased 2.5-pounds of methamphetamine for $11,200 and…

Second trial pending for 2009 homicide KINGMAN – A prosecutor is attempting to introduce new evidence in the case of a career criminal from Kingman who awaits a retrial for the brutal murder of a teenager and the attempted murder of her mother on July 4, 2009. Deputy Mohave County Attorney James Schoppmann has informed the Court he intends to call Kara Atkins, 22, as a witness in the retrial of her father Darrell Ketchner. Ketchner, 62, is serving multiple decades in prison after he was convicted at trial of bursting into the home of his estranged girlfriend Jennifer Allison,…

BULLHEAD CITY – A Bullhead City man who pleaded guilty in a methamphetamine case hoped he would be sentenced to a 5–7-year prison term on Friday, Dec. 18. Instead, Robert Thomas, 51, accepted a 10-year sentence. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle rejected the punishment limitations of the plea agreement, saying he thought Thomas should serve more time behind bars. Carlisle noted the defendant had 7 previous felonies when he was caught July 16 with an ounce of methamphetamine in a motel room in the 1800 block of the Arcadia Plaza. Defense attorney George Hibbeler said Thomas suffered from…

KINGMAN – A near 8-year prison term was ordered Thursday in the case of Henderson man who used his modified armored vehicle to block the U.S. 93 Colorado River bridge linking Arizona with Nevada north of Kingman in June, 2018. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle imposed a 7.75-year prison sentence for Matthew Wright, 32. Wright is convicted of making a terrorist threat and unlawful flight from law enforcement. Another Judge rejected the same plea agreement, declaring it too lenient while saying Wright deserved a 10–25-year prison sentence. Defense attorney Michael Denea has said that Wright was protesting the…