5th October 2025!
Case Backgorund: A Mississippi man has been accused of killing her daughter’s boyfriend due to greed and money on the 30th November 2022. Kirby Carpenter, a successful serial entrepreneur and dealer in precious metals, was found dead on December 2, 2022, at his home in the Dry Creek Community near Booneville, Mississippi. Authorities believe he was murdered two days earlier, on November 30, with a shotgun or a weapon that fires shotgun-style shells, shortly after returning home from grocery shopping. The prosecution allege that Kirby had travelled back from Virginia to kill Kirby and is using that as his alibi. Defence however asserts this is false and contend that Kirby was not even in Tippah County when the murder occured.
Key information: Karen and Caitlin Spence have both accepted plea deals on related charges. Karen Spence pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to grand larceny and received a suspended ten-year sentence. Caitlin Spence pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder and agreed to testify against her father in exchange for deferred sentencing.
The capital murder charge against Jeffrey Spence remains pending. A new trial date will be set next year.
Case Info
Judge: Kelly Luther
Prosecutor: DA Ben Creekmore, ADA Thad Mueller
Defence Attorney: David Hill
Victim: Kirby Carpenter (Deceased)
Day 1 Witnesses
1. Witness #1 – Deputy Chris McCallister – Lead Investigator
2. Witness #2 – Bart Adams – Kirby’s Estate Manager
Witness #1 – State Witness #1 – Deputy Chris McCallister – Lead investigator
1. Direct Exam conducted by Thad Mueller
a. He testified hat due to his 20 year experience, that it seemed that someone who knew Carpenter had killed him, likely a robber who would try to get in and out as fast as possible.
b. He testified to the premises being surrounded by cameras and they were looking for this as this may have captured the murder.
c. He testified that Kirby’s body had a gunshot wound to his right chest.
d. He testified that the lockbox with valuables in it was opened before Kirby’s death.
e. He testified that the satchel of money was missing as they were looking for it.
f. He testified hat the cameras had not captured the murder.
2. Cross Exam conducted by David Hill
a. Defence brings up how Jeffrey is a career criminal and he is charged due to having previous convictions which Chris accepted his prior convictions as true but not reasons why he was charged.
b. Defence brings up Kirby was living a dangerous lifestyle and he testified that David Hancock had threatened to shoot Kirby in the face for the money he owed.
c. He testified that Jeff had access to the cameras and safe through his daughter but not David Hancock.
d. When asked about David Barnes inconsistencies in his statements, He testified that he believes David Barnes is telling the truth but does not know about a meth deal.
e. He was grilled regarding Jeffrey’s whereabouts at the time of the murder
i. Defence asked whether he has proof whether Jeff Spence was in Tippa County on the 30th November and he says that Caitlyn will testify to these facts.
3. Redirect Exam conducted by Thad Mueller
a. He testified that he had arrested David Barnes in connection to the string of robberies at Union Bank
b. He testified that David Hancock had came down to the police station the week after Kirby had died enquiring about what he needed to do to try and get his 2500 back that Kirby owed him
c. He testified that Adam Gates had died from Covid so it couldn’t have been him that killed Kirby
Established in this testimony:
David Barnes relationship with Kirby Carpenter: He used to work for Kirby doing odd jobs around the house. Believed to have known the tensions between Jeff and Kirby.
David Hancock relationship with Kirby Carpenter: he had threatened to kill Kirby specifically saying he wanted to shoot him in the face.
Ray Palmer relationship with Kirby Carpenter: he had money troubles with Kirby after he purchased his liquor store.
Adam Gates relationship with Kirby Carpenter: Kirby had owed him money but had died from Covid before Kirby’s death.
Bart Adams relationship with Kirby Carpenter: he was hired to handle Kirby’s estate hired by Maddie Jane Jones Kirby’s mother. His law office handled matters of Kirby’s estate.
Dwayne Jones is Maddie Jones’ husband
Witness #2 – State Witness #2- Bart Adams – Kirby’s Estate Manager
1. Direct Exam conducted by Ben Creekmore
a. He began by testifying to the work he was doing for Kirby and managing his assets, including creating an LLC for him when he had purchased his liquor store and also managed his silver and gold stores.
i. He testifies that Kirby had a satchel or a man purse with him.
ii. He testifies that Caitlyn, Jeff and Karen had taken some items from the estate and were instructed to bring the things back to the estate.
b. He then went into details regarding Kirby’s possible financial problems
i. He testifies to the suit that was filed against Ray Palmer regarding due to unpaid money from the sale of the Liquor store from Kirby to Ray Palmer and that Ray was not contentious with him and only matter of fact.
Court adjourned for the day
Day 2 Witnesses:
1. Witness #3 – State Witness #3 – Scott Watson – Digital Forensics
2. Witness #4 – State Witness #4 – Brad Johnson – Patrol Officer
3. Witness #5 – State Witness #5 – Tony McCormick – Investigator
4. Witness #6 – State Witness #6 – Caitlyn Spence – Daughter of Jeffrey Spence
Witness #3 – State Witness #3 – Scott Watson – Digital Forensics
1. Direct Exam conducted by Ben Creekmore
a. He answered formality questions regarding his 25 year experience with law and enforcement, the extraction he did with the devices in connection with the case.
i. He testifies to extracting Mr. Spence phone on the 18th December 2023 and again on the 13th February 2024.
ii. He testifies to extracting Karen Spence phone on the 14th December 2023
iii. He testifies to visiting Kirby’s residence on 2nd December 2022
2. No cross Exam
Witness #4 – State Witness #4 – Brad Johnson – Patrol Officer
1. Direct Exam conducted by Ben Creekmore
a. He answered formality questions regarding his involvement in the case and when he processed Jeffrey Spence when he was arrested. He presented the materials that was collected from processing the crime scene.
i. He testifies to what was collected from the safety deposit box, completing an inventory sheet of the items collected:
1) 63 miscellaneous coins
2) 66 nickels
3) 13 miscellaneous jewelry
4) 2 1oz gold pieces
5) One coin
6) One bar
7) Four media storage devices
8) Wheels of Jeff and Caitlyn
9) Video Camera with power cord
10) $273,621 in cash, $9,400 in cash, $1,850 in cash (damaged)
11) 2 $10,000 federal reserve bundles in plastic
12) Packaging material
13) Documents
14) $8,200 of counterfeit money
15) One Knife
16) Safe deposit box agreement
17) Entry log
ii. He gave testimony to the access times entered on the entry log of the safe deposit box:
1) He says that Jeffrey Spence accessed the deposit box on 2nd December 2022
2) He says that the last entry was 11th June 2023
2. Cross examination conducted by David Hill
a. The defence focused on the legalities of the items that were collected from the scene asserting that cash, coins and even the counterfeit money was not illegal, Johnson agreed. The bulk of the cross examination focused on the materials that were processed.
i. Brad Johnson agrees that the death occurred on the 30th November 2022.
b. When asked if the materials presented screams that it belonged to Kirby Carpenter, he says that there are a few items that bore his name.
i. Defence qualified this by highlighting furniture’s with women clothing and other boxes that arent exactly designated to belong to Kirby or anyone, he says only the items that are marked Kirby belongs to him.
ii. Defence highlights that the unmarked items could belong to Jeffrey and could have belonged to him for 20 years or could not, he agrees that they are not designated.
3. Redirect Examination conducted by Ben Creekmore
a. The state showed the difference between illegal and commercial property using David Barnes cheque to Kirby as something you cant go and purchase and wouldn’t be illegal.
Witness #5 – State Witness #5 – Tony McCormick – Investigator
1. Direct Exam conducted by Ben Cheekmore
a. He presented to the evidence the items collected from the Spence’s residence and seized with the search warrant on the 30th November 2022.
i. He testified to collecting the following
1) $179 cash, $570 cash
2) 12 gauge number four shot ammunition
ii. The items found underneath the bed of Karen and Jeff Spence
1) Tommy Hilfiger extra large blue winter jacket that was wrapped around a shotgun.
2) 12 gauge pump shotgun
3) 6 shotgun shells
2. Cross Exam conducted by David Hill
a. Nothing of note!
3. No redirect exam conducted!
Witness #6 – State Witness #6 – Caitlyn Spence – Daughter of Jeffrey Spence
1. Direct Exam conducted by Thad Mueller
a. She gave background to when her and Kirby Carpenter had met after she had opened her store, how they began their relationship in 2022 and had their child on 23rd July 2022!
b. She gives information to what happened a few days before the murder and on the day of the murder
i. She testifies on November 29th 2022 that she learned that Jeffrey had left to Virginia and did not have a conversation with him on that day or on the 30th November 2022. She said that she spoke to him on the 1st December 2022. She says he told her that Jeff told her phone battery was broken and couldn’t pick up when she tried calling him.
c. She gave testimony on what she saw when she had visited Kirby’s residence on the 30th November 2022
i. She testified to the location of the cameras, cameras on the side door, outside the garage viewing the driveway, the front porch, and above the garage door.
ii. She testified to finding Kirby dead on the 2nd December 2022.
iii. She testified that Jeffrey had come back to Mississippi from Saltville, Virginia on the 30th November 2022 saying he had brought a package Tand placed it under a 5 gallon bucket in our open shed and returned back to Virginia.
iv. She testified that Jeffrey told her that Kirby had asked him to bring a package back and it was a package of drugs and implied that the pills were for Kirby to resell like a drug deal.
v. She says that Jeffrey had told her on December 2022 that he believed that investigators would find the drug dealers killers that had killed Kirby.
vi. She testified that Jeffrey had told her at the waterfall that the less she knew the better and her responsibility was Enola. He was short, and angry at her saying he did what he had to do for Enola and its not her responsibility to find Kirby’s killers.
vii. She said that she believed that Jeff was confessing for the murder and she would need to keep her mouth shut or she would lose Enola and kill him.
d. She gave testimony about her, Jeffrey and Karen Spence leaving Tippa County after the funeral on the 20th December 2022
2. Cross Examination conducted by David Hill
a. Defence highlights that she got a lawyer because she knew she was in trouble, she says that she got a lawyer because she was instructed to.
b. Defence highlights that David Barnes statements to law enforcement about her had gotten her, Karen and Jeff arrested and she agreed.
i. She says that didn’t know what David had said her dad killed Kirby and saying Jeff said Keep your mouth shut or you’re next”.
c. She denies being a drug dealer. She agrees that there were people coming to Kirby’s residence to come and buy drugs from Kirby and says that the investigation revealed that Kirby had been dealing drugs. .
d. Defence focused on the emotional and physical abuse that Kirby had inflicted on her suggesting that she could have a motive to kill him.
i. She testified that her and Kirby had their troubles, and she believed that he could change and not the guy he was.
ii. She testified that she did not move Kirby’s body and had not reported him missing for 2 days when he wasn’t at the residence.
iii. She agreed that Kirby had enemies and agreed that Ray Palmer and Kirby had arguments about money regarding the liquor store, saying that Ray was slowing payments.
e. Defence focused on the altercations that Kirby had in his life and how his lifestyle was chaotic.
i. She had testified to an altercation that occurred on Facebook and had made a note of a threat made to him by David Hancock, she read it out in court.
ii. She testified to Adam Gates who had pulled a gun on him on the side of the road and threatened Kirby’s life. She agrees that Kirby was involving himself in high risk, dangerous conduct.
f. Defence highlights that she was given an opportunity to get out of jail and this was why she had changed her story in order to get access to her daughter.
i. She agrees that her case is not over and will be sentenced after she pleaded guilty.
ii. She agrees that she not give the statement she had given in court until the deal giving her freedom and having her daughter back and agreed that she changed her testimony on April this year.
iii. She testified that she is testifying because she feels the truth needs to be heard
iv. She testified that the waterfall story in 23rd June 2023 was what made her feel her dad killed Kirby.
g. Text conversations were shown between her and Karen Spence where Karen had said that the dad had made hamburgers in Saltville Virginia
i. Caitlyn to Karen – What are you eating for dinner sent on 30th November 2022 at 8:03pm
ii. Karen to Caitlyn – Dad and I are eating hamburgers in a few minutes, he just got back up from a good nap, he worked hard today inside and out. The hound dogs are back on the porch now. Love you lots. – 8:04pm
iii. She testifies that that’s what the text says when defence highlights that it would be difficult to kill Kirby 800 miles away if he was in virginia cooking Hamburgers.
iv. She testifies that her dad does make good hamburgers
3. Redirect exam conducted by Thad Mueller
a. She testified that David Hancock or Adam gates did not have keys to the house and agreed that they did not confess to killing Kirby.
Court Adjourned for the day.
Day 3 Witnesses:
1. Witness #7 – State Witness #7 – Carolyn Aguayo – Jeff Spence Daughter
Witness #7 – State Witness #7 – Carolyn Aguayo – Jeff Spence Daughter
1. Direct Exam conducted by Ben Cheekmore
a. She testified that she didn’t want her address our kids’ information out there due to coming from a criminal family and would have to watch her back.
b. She gave her background and childhood life with her parents, Jeff and Karen Spence.
c. She testified that her dad had said to her that if he was ever going to have to kill someone, he would use a shotgun because you wouldn’t have to worry about the casing.
d. She testified that she stopped speaking with her parents due to her mother helping her father commit crimes; she said her family spoke in code.
e. She testified that in August 2018 that Jeff had cut the camera of the house where he had done so from the shed
2. Cross Exam conducted by David Hill
a. The defence focused on the family dynamics brought up on direct to give more context
i. The defence highlighted that Karen and Jeff were trying to chip in and help but she protested and said they didn’t help and had to get another mortgage to support them when Jeff and Karen came to stay with them.
ii. She testified that the dad was a con artist and disputed that saying that she grew up with him and knows right and wrong. She says that she gets disapproval looks from people at the store because he is known for scamming the neighbourhood.
iii. She snaps back at the defence lawyer regarding her recall memory
b. She testifies that Gio was threatened by Jeff that he was going to take out life insurance on him and kill asserting that it was recorded but it wasn’t allowed into court.
i. She hit out at the defence saying that the father should be in handcuffs after the defence suggested her animosity towards her parents was due to disagreements with them.
3. Redirect Exam conducted by Ben Cheekmore
She testifies that her parents would speak in code.
Day 4 – Closing Arguments + Verdict!
Hope you’re all caught up with the case, thanks for reading!
Sources:
Case background of Kirby Carpenter, 3rd September 2025, Crime Timelines, Available online at: Kirby Carpenter Murder Case – Crime Timeline
Day 1 Proceedings, 24th September 2025, Available online on Law & Crime Trials Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/f6KSvYrSWp8?si=o9ZOA_SRw7c1gqgs
Day 2 Proceedings, 25th September 2025, Available online on Law & Crime Trials Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/WMBaE6Sa05s?si=tnHX1k-rAXBXZGGh
Day 3 Proceedings, 26th September 2025, Available online on Law & Crime Trials Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/U_diyawNupg?si=TmGPT8IANtraKyFV
Day 4 Proceedings, 29th September 2025, Available online on Law & Crime Trials Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/QLDtYcYkUmk?si=WCjmdoDf11u_cAu9
Jeffrey Spence Trial Ends in Mistrial, 30th September 2025, Explore Jefferson, Article, Available online at: https://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/crime/2025/09/30/jeffrey-spence-trial-ends-in-mistrial-in-kirby-carpenter-homicide-168977/
