A former Kentucky State Police detective has been indicted for allegedly making false statements under oath during a U. S. District Court hearing in Lexington about a 2012 Clay County murder case.
Charles J. Senters, Jr., 41, of Manchester, is accused of testifying in 2014 that he spoke to the Clay County Coroner, a DNA analyst and his supervisor, and received permission to dispose of a knife and telephone cord that could have been evidence in the murder of Eli Marcum (a federal informant about a drug pipeline from Florida to Kentucky).
The indictment alleges Senters, who was lead detective in the murder case and the 2012 Kentucky State Trooper of the Year, made materially false statements. The indictment was handed down in May, but was sealed until Thursday.
If convicted at trial, Senters could receive up to 15 years in prison, serve a three-year period of supervised release and pay a $750,000 fine.
After making a first appearance Thursday afternoon, Senters was released on bond. His trial is scheduled for October 16, at U. S. District Court in Lexington.
