After two years of incarceration, Joseph South has pleaded guilty to the March 23, 2024 murder of Earl Coffey.
South entered a guilty plea on several charges on April 22 in Adair Circuit Court.
South was arrested on March 23, 2024, and charged with murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.
According to court records, South rented property from Earl Coffey and was served with an eviction notice on March 8, 2024. In the morning hours of March 23, South went to Coffey’s residence where Coffey, his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and their child were. South fired multiple shots into Coffey’s home, fatally striking Coffey.
While incarcerated, South was charged with three counts of assault, 3rd degree, for assaulting three deputy jailers.
South was ordered to undergo two psychiatric evaluations and requested felony mediation of both cases.
South and his attorney appeared in Circuit Court with Judge Judy Vance Murphy and entered guilty pleas as agreed upon with the Commonwealth Attorney. The agreement states that South pleads guilty to murder with a 30-year sentence, criminal attempt to commit murder with a 10-year sentence, and three counts of wanton endangerment, each with a 5-year sentence.
The 30-year sentence will be served consecutively to the sentence of 10 years, but concurrently to the five-year sentences for a total of 40 years. This sentence will also run concurrently to any sentence imposed on the assault, 3rd degree charges.
South must serve 85 percent of the sentence before any probation, parole, conditional discharge, or any other form of early release is allowed. He has already served two years awaiting trial, which will count toward his sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 2058, when he is 91 years old.
