Pike County Judge J. Frank McCartney rejected a plea deal this week on a two-year old alleged child abuse case.
50 year old Kris W. Koeller of Hull was indicted on 17 counts of battery of a child dating back to July 2020 filed in a criminal information in September of last year. The allegations all involve alleged abuse of a child under the age of 13.
The Pike Press reports that Pike County State’s Attorney Zack Boren says that the original plea deal for Koeller included probation on two counts of domestic battery with bodily harm, strict no contact provisions, anger management and mental health treatment requirements, and all of the usual other conditions and reporting terms of adult probation. Boren did not disclose to the Pike Press the length of probation in the agreement nor any of the fines, fees, or court costs that would have been assessed.
McCartney’s rejection of the plea deal triggered a motion hearing yesterday in Pike County Circuit Court. According to online court records, a sentencing hearing has been set for May 3rd in the case. The State’s Attorney filed motions of no prosecution on 15 counts in the criminal information and made amendments to an aggravated battery of a child charge and a domestic battery with bodily harm charge from events that are alleged to have occurred on August 29th of last year.
The Pike County Probation Office was ordered to provide a full pre-sentence investigation to the court. Koeller was also given permission to work and travel to and from the state of Missouri prior to the sentencing date.