By John Howell
Panola County authorities have charged a third person in connection with the April 20 murder of Glen Martin at his home on Johnson Road.

Panola County Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Barry Thompson said that Kenneth Michael Smith, 7132 Highway 51 Pope was charged April 22 with accessory after the fact of capital murder. Smith is alleged to have “disposed of some evidence” for Justin Hall and Cheyenne Turnage who were charged April 21 with capital murder.

Martin was brutally attacked in the front yard of his home early April 20 and died from his injuries about 24 hours later.

Smith had been sought on a warrant for statutory rape since early April when a victim’s mother reported incidents dating back to May, 2014, involving an underage female, Detective Bryan Arnold said.

The sheriff’s department received information from a confidential informant about Smith’s location early Friday. Sheriff’s department detective Terry Smith picked Smith up near Hays Street in Batesville without incident, Thompson said.

“All our guys really pulled together and worked this,” Thompson said, citing the “sheer brutality and what this family had to go through.”

Smith made an initial appearance on the two charges Tuesday before Justice Court Judge Charlie Baglan, who set Smith’s bond at $200,000.

Hall and Turnage made their initial appearance on the capital murder charges April 22 before Judge Baglan. Capital murder suspects can be held without bond, Thompson said.

At the initial court appearance family members for both capital murder defendants have indicated that they plan to hire attorneys, Thompson said.