A third jury trial scheduled later this month for a Keithsburg man charged with solicitation of murder for hire. 48-year-old Kevin Hockenberry appeared in Mercer County Circuit Court Monday morning for a final status hearing. A mistrial was declared for Hockenberry in late November and his first trial ended in a hung jury last August after the jury foreperson reported to the court that they were “hopelessly deadlocked”. The third trial is planned for March 27.
Hockenberry is accused of trying to pay someone $10,000 to kill former Mercer County State’s Attorney Meeghan Lee. He 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. Hockenberry remains in custody at the Mercer County Jail.