The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
8 high-profile court cases to watch around Louisville
Man who shot at mayor, ‘Superchef ’ among them
From a local pediatrician’s murderfor-hire plot to the 2022 shooting at Mayor Craig Greenberg’s campaign office, several major local court cases that have grabbed headlines over the years are expected to see a slate of updates through the end of 2024.
Here’s a round up of cases to follow this year.
Quintez Brown to stand trial for shooting at Mayor Craig Greenberg
A federal trial for Brown — a Louisville activist charged with attempting to shoot then-mayoral candidate Greenberg — is expected to begin August 13.
Brown, a former University of Louisville student who had worked as an intern at The Courier Journal, was arrested Feb. 14, 2022, shortly after police said he used a 9 mm Glock to fire shots into Greenberg’s campaign office in the Butchertown Market on Story Avenue. None of the five people inside were injured, but one shot is believed to have tore through Greenberg’s sweater.
Brown has been federally charged with interference with federally protected activities — Greenberg’s campaign — as well as the use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime. Brown also faces a separate case tied to the incident in state court, where he’s been charged with attempted murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.
In early 2023, defense attorney Rob Eggert told U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton he will pursue the insanity defense for Brown.
If Brown is convicted in federal court, he faces anywhere between 10 years in prison to life, without the possibility of parole.
Four charged in connection to Miya Rudd’s disappearance
Days after a decomposed infant’s body was found inside their Ohio County home, the parents of missing 8month-old Miya Rudd — Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd — were charged with a string of offenses, including felony counts of criminal abuse, abuse of a corpse, first-degree wanton endangerment and engaging in organized crime. They have also been charged with drugrelated offenses.
Police began investigating Rudd’s disappearance after family members said she hadn’t been seen since the end of April. Kentucky State Police later said detectives found an infant’s body “consistent with Miya Rudd,” with the the body “hidden in a concealed manner” inside her parents’ residence.
Two other men, Brodie Payne and Ricky Smith, also face several charges related to the investigation, including abuse of a corpse and first-degree wanton endangerment.
Smith is Miya Rudd’s grandfather. According to KSP, Payne had been residing at the Rudd household for approximately six months prior to his arrest.
All four defendants’ arraignments are set for July 2.
Several other people have been arrested on unrelated charges, including Miya’s other three grandparents: Taletha D. Tucker, 50; David Tucker, 53; and Billie J. Smith, 49.
Ex-Catholic school teacher charged with child pornography involving students
The former Louisville Catholic school teacher accused of creating and distributing child pornography using altered images of his students is expected to face trial this fall following his indictment by a federal grand jury.
In the indictment, Jordan A. Fautz was charged with distribution of child pornography, distribution of obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography between March 31, 2022 and February 2, 2024.
The FBI’s investigation tracked an IP address to him that was used to send images of child pornography involving spliced photos of students at St. Stephen Martyr — with their real names and the name of their school clearly visible — along with at least one adult to an undercover agent, according to his charging document.
Fautz was arrested in early February and faces up to 120 years in prison if convicted.
His trial is currently slated to begin in early October.
Pediatrician in murder-for-hire plot against ex-husband awaiting sentencing
Early this year, former Louisville pediatrician Stephanie Russell pleaded guilty to stalking her ex-husband and attempting to hire someone to kill him. Now, it’s up to a district court judge to decide the length of her sentence.
According to prosecutors of the case, Russell, who ran the popular Kidz Life Pediatrics in Louisville’s Norton Commons prior to her arrest, began trying to locate someone to kill her ex-husband
after a family court judge awarded permanent, sole custody of their two children to their father in April 2021.
Russell was arrested at her office in May 2022.
If Judge David Hale agrees to the prosecution’s recommendation, Russell will be sentenced to at least eight years in federal prison.
Her sentencing is scheduled for July 31.
Superchef Darnell Ferguson charged with strangulation, assault against wife
Food Network star and former Louisville restaurateur Darnell “Superchef” Ferguson faces multiple charges, including felony counts of first-degree burglary and strangulation, in connection to a domestic incident in January.
Ferguson, 37, was arraigned in Jefferson Circuit Court in February over allegations he assaulted his estranged wife while attempting to drop off their children at her apartment. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During a pretrial hearing in late January, Louisville Detective Mark Richardson testified as part of the law enforcement team who responded to the incident, saying he interviewed Tatahda Ferguson, who claims she woke up to Darnell Ferguson inside her home without permission on Jan. 2.
Court documents allege Darnell Ferguson began to yell and punch walls, causing damage to the home. He is accused of then telling his wife that he would kill her and grabbing her by the neck, restraining her breathing and causing her to lose consciousness.
In April, Tatahda Ferguson released a statement through her legal counsel saying her words during that police interview were “twisted” by investigators. She added she was never in any physical danger, and the only time Darnell Ferguson touched her that day was to push her off of him.
Darnell Ferguson’s case is still active.
He has a pretrial conference slated for July 3.
Mom charged in Southern Indiana murder of toddler stuffed inside suitcase
Cairo Ammar Jordan was found on April 16, 2022 in a heavily wooded area in Washington County, Indiana. His body was inside a suitcase with “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” painted on its shell.
Sgt. Carey Huls of the Indiana State Police previously said Jordan died due to an electrolyte imbalance “most likely caused by ... vomiting and diarrhea. And that resulted in dehydration.”
Once Jordan was identified, police announced his mother, Dejaune Anderson, and her friend, Dawn Elaine Coleman of Shreveport, Louisiana, were considered suspects.
Both women had published several social media posts that referred to a child as a “demon” and “an avatar playing a character” ahead of Jordan’s death, according to Coleman’s arrest affidavit.
Coleman was arrested in late 2022, but Anderson could not be located by law enforcement until she was arrested in March by the U.S. Marshals Service in
California. She faces multiple felony charges, including murder.
In November, Coleman pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder in relation to Jordan’s death and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Coleman will serve 25 years, with five years suspended to probation per the terms of her plea agreement.
Anderson has a pretrial conference scheduled for July 11, with a trial date tentatively set for August. She has pleaded not guilty.
Former Indiana sheriff Jamey Noel charged with litany of felonies
Former Indiana Sheriff Jamey Noel faces over two dozen felony charges, including tax evasion, ghost employment and corrupt business influence, stemming from various accusations of fraud that allegedly occurred while he was in public office and served as the CEO of a local nonprofit.
Since an Indiana State Police investigation began in June 2023, investigators have alleged Noel — who also led the Utica Township Fire Fighters Association and New Chapel EMS — hired county employees to do work for his personal interests, used a business credit card for private purposes and falsified documents to help an officer receive unauthorized pension funds, among other charges.
Noel’s wife, Misty, and daughter, Kasey, were also charged with theft and tax evasion after the Indiana State Police released documents alleging they used public funds to pay for personal items. Misty’s trial is scheduled for July 30, while Kasey’s is set for August 20. They each have pleaded not guilty.
A jury trial on Noel’s criminal charges is set for Nov. 6. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Three men connected to Crystal Rogers’ murder case: Brooks Houck, Joseph Lawson and Steve Lawson
Crystal Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five children, went missing around July 3, 2015, from Bardstown, Kentucky. Her car was soon found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse inside. While her body has never been found, she is presumed dead by investigators.
Rogers’ case finally received a break in recent months, when her then-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, and a father and son pair, Steve and Joseph Lawson, were separately arrested.
Houck was Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and was identified by investigators as a suspect within the first few months of the investigation. He is charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Steve and Joseph Lawson have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
The three defendants’ trials are tentatively scheduled to begin early next year. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter. Reporters Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez and Leo Bertucci contributed to this reporting.