A jury trial has been continued again for a Keithsburg man charged with solicitation of murder for hire. Jury selection was set to begin this past Monday and then next Wednesday, but the state asked for a continuance Friday in Mercer County Circuit Court. 48-year-old Kevin Hockenberry will now stand trial Aug. 23. Hockenberry is accused of trying to pay someone $10,000 to kill former Mercer County State’s Attorney Meeghan Lee.
Hockenberry has been in custody at the Mercer County Jail awaiting trial on a Class 3 felony of sexual relations within families. That charge is in connection with an alleged incident that occurred in April of 2019. He is also facing felony charges in two other cases including perjury and false reporting as well as two misdemeanor counts of violating an order of protection.
Bond on the solicitation of murder for hire charge is set at $500,000.
