By JUSTIN STORY, Bowling Green Daily News

RUSSELLVILLE – A man charged in connection with a fatal shooting that took place two years ago in Logan County entered a guilty plea Thursday.

Jaquavon Ravon Poindexter, 22, of Hopkinsville, pleaded guilty in Logan Circuit Court to a count of first-degree manslaughter, taking criminal responsibility for the death of Joshua D. Burks, 20, of Clarksville, Tennessee.

“I shot and killed Mr. Joshua Burks,” Poindexter said in response to Logan Circuit Judge Joe Hendricks’ question in which Poindexter was asked what made him guilty of first-degree manslaughter.

The shooting took place Aug. 13, 2022, in the 600 block of Kenny Stratton Road in Olmstead, where police say a field party was being held.

According to court records, an altercation occurred at the scene following a vehicle collision involving Burks and people who were friends of Poindexter.

In court Thursday, Poindexter said Burks “ran up on” Poindexter’s group and he felt the need to protect himself at the time of the shooting.

Hendricks pointed out that Poindexter could possibly adopt a self-defense strategy at a jury trial that had been scheduled to begin in May, and asked Poindexter if he wished to go ahead with his guilty plea.

Poindexter said he discussed his options with his attorney, Christian Woodall, and wanted to plead guilty.

Logan County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Nathan Beard said the prosecution’s position at trial would have been that Burks had a gun in his waistband at the time of his shooting and that Poindexter was not in immediate danger of death or serious physical injury when the shooting occurred.

Burks’ death was investigated by Kentucky State Police.

An affidavit sworn in 2022 by KSP Detective Graham Rutherford said Poindexter arrived at the party in a vehicle with his brother, De’Carlos Poindexter, and Laotis Buckley.

Interviews with witnesses and examination of evidence at the scene led police to conclude that Jaquavon Poindexter fired the shot that killed Burks, while Buckley allegedly discharged a firearm 11 times, with three shots striking Burks’ vehicle.

According to court records, KSP received information on Sept. 20, 2022, that shell casings recovered from the scene of the homicide could be connected through a ballistics examination of a firearm seized on Sept. 6, 2022, by police in Hopkinsville during a traffic stop involving De’Carlos Poindexter.

Buckley was charged initially with complicity to commit murder, but pleaded guilty last year to a charge of first-degree hindering prosecution/apprehension and received a sentence of pretrial diversion.

Records show the Logan County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has moved to have Buckley’s pretrial diversion revoked after Buckley was arrested on new charges in January in Hopkinsville.

De’Carlos Poindexter, 18, faces charges of complicity to commit murder, 11 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

He has pleaded not guilty and was found to be competent to stand trial following a hearing last month in front of Hendricks.

Jaquavon Poindexter faced between 20-50 years in prison or a life sentence with no chance at parole for at least 20 years if he had been convicted of murder as charged.

Prosecutors will now recommend a 15-year sentence for Poindexter, who will return to court April 18 for sentencing.