LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A father and son were supposed to arraigned together this morning for murdering a family member -- but only one of them faced a judge today.
Joshua Young faced the judge, but his father, Joshua Gouker, is still in a Floyd County jail, facing a theft charge.
Gouker and Young were indicted by a grand jury last month for the beating death of 14-year-old Trey Zwicker in May 2011. Young has been facing murder and tampering with physical evidence charges for more than a year for the death of his stepbrother.
Prosecutors now believe father and son worked together and Young's lawyers don't want them tried together because they believe the father might plead.
Gouker was just added to the murder indictment after police found additional evidence. It came in the form of a letter from a former prison pal of Gouker's who said he admitted to getting his son to kill Zwicker as revenge for Zwicker's mother aborting their child.
The teen's body was found bludgeoned to death, beaten at least 15 times in the head with a bat. The body was left behind Liberty High School.
Gouker is also charged with animal torture, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and being a persistent felony offender.
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