For more than eight hours Tuesday, jurors in Christian County Circuit Court heard round after round of analytical testimony about cell phone records, triangulation, text messages, DNA, autopsy reports, timesheets, bank statements and more — regarding the intersecting lives and deaths of Hopkinsville’s Stanley Bussell and Candace Marcel, and their accused murderer: Bobby Spikes.
None of it, however, brought more gravity than the words of Spikes’ son, Kendall, who closed Day 2 trial proceedings under Judge John Atkins, special prosecutor Blake Chambers and defense attorney Jason McGee with more than an hour of personal revelation surrounding the events leading to, and after, December 9, 2021.
Kendall confirmed he and his father used to live together before a relationship with Candace sprouted, and that he often gave his dad rides in his old 2015 red-maroonish Kia Optima because his dad didn’t drive.
The afternoon before the murders, December 8, Kendall said he picked up Bobby and dropped him off at a friend’s house, later picking him up and dropping him off again around 9:57 PM at Marcel’s apartment — made clear by some Ring camera footage. He then went home to his Oak Tree Village Drive Apartment, and went to sleep.
At 3:41 AM December 9, Kendall said he woke to missed calls from Bobby, followed quickly by some loud banging at his door.
Kendall said Bobby lingered in the apartment for about 10-to-15 minutes, no gun in hand, before he asked him to follow him in a black Camaro so they could “get rid of the car.”
They traveled down US 68/80 toward Cadiz for a good way, close to the Dollar General near the four-way, before Bobby eventually made a turn toward Cerulean Road and into Trigg County. Kendall said he couldn’t see inside this Camaro because it had dark tint and the evening was foggy — muggy conditions leading to what ended up being a nightmarish severe weather weekend for west Kentucky.
After a few minutes down the road and into Trigg County, Kendall said Bobby pulled the car to the side, got out, and walked to his Kia Optima with a black handgun now visible.
Kendall said he never saw Marcel that night, nor did he ever hear or see a gunshot. What he didn’t know at the time is that she was already dead — riding in the passenger seat next to Bobby to that location. And it wasn’t until former Trigg County Sheriff Randy Clark, then a returned deputy to the office, went on patrol and later happened upon the Camaro early December 9 — calling fellow deputies, the Cadiz Police Department and the Kentucky State Police for assistance.
By then, Kendall and Bobby were long gone.
First, there was a trip back to Hopkinsville, with stops at a storage building on Pembroke Road and Kendall’s home.
Then, there was an immediate shopping trip to Bowling Green — and a visit to a couple shoe stores and Lids.
From there, it was on to the mall in Clarksville for more shoes and a haircut for Kendall — before he finally dropped his dad off at a friend’s house in Hopkinsville.
Kendall confirmed to the court that he initially lied to both the Hopkinsville Police Department and investigators from McGee’s office in future questioning sessions, before eventually telling the truth after an indictment came from Christian County’s Grand Jury.
Three different statements, he added, under three different circumstances.
After serving 4 ½ months in jail and seven more with an ankle monitor, Kendall accepted a plea deal this past February — claiming guilt for complicity of tampering with physical evidence and first-degree hindering prosecution. Official sentencing was sought by the Commonwealth, but delayed by Atkins.
This deal made Kendall a convicted felon, with a recommendation of 10 years’ probation that could be revoked should he not truthfully testify against his father, or any other incriminating current or future circumstances. His original charges were first-degree hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, complicity to murder and complicity to kidnapping Marcel and Bussell.
Atkins is still having his early morning rule day session Wednesday. He said he would finish that work as quickly as possible, and ask for all parties to reconvene 9:30 AM and await instruction.
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Marcel’s long-time friend and Hopkinsville’s Angela White, now a military and veterans’ affairs employee in Indianapolis, was one of several present for the Thanksgiving 2021 altercation.
Listener discretion is adamantly advised for her testimony (NSFW):
Part I
Part II
