LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Roger Burdette, charged with murdering LMPD Det. Deidre Mengedoht, was in court again Wednesday afternoon for a pre-trial conference.
The detective pulled over a driver on Interstate 64 under the Belvedere on Christmas Eve in 2018. According to police, Burdette smashed into Mengedoht’s cruiser with his MSD truck, which resulted in her death. Burdette was fired after he reportedly failed field sobriety tests.
In court Wednesday, Burdette's public defender, Amy Hannah, told the judge they filed a request in October for the summary of any potential witnesses and had been expecting to get an expert report from the prosecution since January. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Kristi Gray said they will be working on any testimony summaries over the next few months, but they have nothing else to file at this time.
The toxicology and mechanical tests are done and those reports have been shared with the defense. Gray said the prosecution is waiting on experts examining cell phone data but the data itself has already been shared with the defense as well. She said that if there are any additional reports in anticipation of any testimony, then the prosecution will continue to work on those and share them with the defense.
Hannah said since they thought they were waiting on a report, she asked the judge to set another pre-trial conference. Jefferson Circuit Court Judge McKay Chauvin set a final pre-trial conference for March 24 at 1 p.m. He said he usually likes to have trails set within a year, so he hopes at the next hearing to set a trial date or come to an agreement.
“You all have your discussions and see where you are,” Chauvin said to both the defense and prosecution. “And if you’re unable to reach a settlement, then let’s go ahead and get in on the trial docket … But I don’t want to do anything without you all exhausting the realistic possibility of resolving this.”
Chauvin said if they go to trial, he hopes that can be done in the next six to eight months.
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