Kirby Carpenter, a successful serial entrepreneur and dealer in precious metals, was found dead on December 2, 2022, at his home in the Dry Creek Community near Booneville, Mississippi. Authorities believe he was murdered two days earlier, on November 30, with a shotgun or a weapon that fires shotgun-style shells, shortly after returning home from grocery shopping.

A Family Home Turned Crime Scene

Carpenter lived on a 10-acre property with his partner, Caitlin Spence, and their infant daughter, born in July 2022. The home was adjacent to an additional 127 acres of land owned by Carpenter.

After the baby’s birth, Caitlin’s parents, Jeffrey and Karen Spence, came to visit the couple. Although the visit was intended to last a few weeks, they stayed for four months. Caitlin later told Carpenter’s family that her parents had left for Virginia the night before his murder.

But on December 3, one day after Caitlin reported discovering Carpenter’s body behind the garage, the Spences returned to Mississippi.

Alarming Changes and a Race to Secure the Estate

On December 4, Carpenter’s mother, Mattie Jane Jones, found that the locks on the home and codes to multiple safes containing Carpenter’s valuables had been changed. These safes reportedly held precious metals, important documents, and firearms.

Concerned that the Spences might attempt to take items belonging to Carpenter’s estate, Jones was appointed administratrix of her son’s estate.

“We started an immediate inventory to make sure they couldn’t take things out of the home,” said Kaysie Barnes, Carpenter’s sister. “Looking back on it, we should have kicked them out. But we were grieving and thought of it as the baby’s home. We had suspicions—we just didn’t think they’d killed him.”

It is still unclear whether any items were taken before the family regained control of the property.

The Spences Leave Mississippi

On December 20, just three days after Carpenter’s funeral, Caitlin, her parents, and the baby left Mississippi and returned to Virginia, according to Barnes.

As administratrix, Jones set up child support payments for Carpenter’s daughter. The checks were mailed to a home in Saltville, Virginia, an address provided by Caitlin. But after a few months, Caitlin stopped communicating with Carpenter’s family altogether.

A Welfare Check Reveals a Burned Home

Concerned for the child’s safety, Barnes requested a welfare check at the Saltville address. According to her, law enforcement officers found the house had burned to the ground—with only the mailbox still standing.

Investigation Continues, But Questions Remain

As of now, the Tippah County Sheriff’s Department has not released an affidavit of probable cause that would explain the evidence supporting the arrests of Caitlin, Jeffrey, and Karen Spence.

The Carpenter family continues to seek answers while grappling with the mysterious and tragic death of their loved one.

Location: Dry Creek Community, near Booneville, Mississippi
Victim: Kirby Carpenter, 36, precious metals dealer
Girlfriend: Caitlin Spence
Involved Parties: Karen Spence is a former nurse at Clarion-Limestone High School. Jeffrey Spence is the former owner of White Oak Whitetail Deer Farm in Reynoldsville. In 2005, he was found guilty of the October 1999 theft of a 28-point whitetail deer buck named Goliath, who was stolen from the Wild Bunch Ranch deer farm in Clarion County.

November 30, 2022 — Day of the Murder

• 6:30 PM: Kirby Carpenter texted Caitlin Spence that he was passing Geno’s Tire Store in Booneville on his way home.
• Shortly after 6:30 PM: Kirby is believed to have stopped at Kroger and purchased groceries. A receipt and groceries were later found in the passenger floorboard of his locked truck.
• 6:45–7:00 PM: Investigators believe this is the approximate time Kirby arrived home.
• 7:15 PM: Caitlin Spence is seen at Booneville Walmart with her baby. Surveillance footage shows her inside, then sitting in her car for 45 minutes. Caitlin texts Kirby again, referencing running into a “crazy dog lady” from Tractor Supply and asking if he wants Chinese food. She never receives a reply.
  
• Later That Night: According to Caitlin, she did not see Kirby that day; she allegedly told Bailey (a friend watching the baby) that she hadn’t seen him at all. However, Caitlin told MBI’s Tammy Hall during a later interview that Kirby was “asleep” when she left and that the whole household had been sick with the flu.

December 1, 2022 — No Contact With Kirby

• Kirby’s whereabouts remain unaccounted for. His mother, Mattie Jane Jones, becomes concerned after not hearing from him.

December 2, 2022

• Kirby Carpenter is found shot to death outside his home.
• 12:30 PM: Caitlin Spence called 911, reportedly while on the phone with Kirby’s mother, Mattie Jane Jones. Dispatchers had trouble understanding her.
• 1:30 PM: Investigator Chris McCallister arrived at the scene. Kirby’s body was found partially covered with a curtain and a truck toolbox, near the carport.
• Kirby’s body is found partially concealed beneath a curtain and topped with a truck toolbox near the carport. Only his boots and possibly one hand are visible.
• Blood is discovered in the carport, with visible drag marks leading to the body.
• Kirby’s truck is parked in the driveway with groceries inside. Doors are locked, windows up.
• His truck key fob is later found in his pocket; other keys are found on the ground near a knocked-over trash can.
• A curtain in the carport matches the one covering his body.
• No gun is found on Kirby, though he was known to always carry a .22 Magnum pistol. Ammo was found, but no weapon.
• A shoulder bag Kirby was known to keep in his truck, often containing large amounts of cash, is missing.
• Approximately $2,800 is found in Kirby’s front pants pocket.
• Later That Afternoon: Investigators noted the presence of blood, drag marks, a missing pistol (Kirby was known to carry a .22 Magnum), and missing valuables, including a shoulder bag that normally contained large amounts of cash.
• That Day: Caitlin claimed to have discovered Kirby’s body while walking back from checking a deer stand. Investigators later stated the route was muddy and difficult to traverse, especially with a baby, casting doubt on her claim.
• Investigators determine he was likely murdered on or around November 30, shortly after a trip to the grocery store.

December 3, 2022

• Jeffrey and Karen Spence returned to Carpenter’s residence.

December 4, 2022

• Carpenter’s mother, Mattie Jane Jones, discovered that the locks to the home and codes to safes storing valuables had been changed

December 5, 2022 — Caitlin’s Recorded Interview

• Caitlin gave a recorded statement to Tammy Hall (MBI) and local investigators. She claimed Kirby was asleep when she left for work on November 30, and that all three (herself, Kirby, and the baby) had been ill with the flu. Investigators described her demeanor as “extremely calm.”
• Caitlin claims she had gone to work, dropped the baby with friend Bailey, and had not seen Kirby until discovering his body.
• She tells investigators she thought Kirby might be hunting and walked to the deer stand area with the baby to check — a muddy, steep path investigators say would have been nearly impossible to walk, especially carrying a child.
• Investigators later find a more accessible path and note a side-by-side vehicle was available, though it wasn’t used.

December 20, 2022

• Caitlin Spence and her parents left Mississippi and traveled to Virginia

December 2022 – Post-Crime Scene Searches

• Kirby’s mother and others begin cleaning and inventorying the home in preparation for an estate auction.
• Security System Discovery: A Blink sync box (used for saving camera footage) that was missing on Dec. 2 is found behind boxes in a “safe room” filled with valuables and multiple safes.
• The sync box was unplugged and had no memory card.
• The safe room initially had unsecured valuables; later, safes are found locked with changed combinations.
• Mattie Jane reports she originally had access to the safes but later found the combinations changed.
• The sync box had reportedly been behind the TV but was gone on Dec. 2 and only found later, hidden.
• As the administratrix of the estate, Jones set up child support payments for Carpenter’s baby, which they sent by check to a home in Saltville, Virginia, an address that was given to them by Caitlin Spence. After a couple of months, Caitlin Spence stopped communicating with Carpenter’s. After not being able to check on the baby, Barnes made a call to law enforcement in Virginia to do a welfare check. When law enforcement arrived, the house at the address was found to have burned to the ground. The only thing left standing was the mailbox.

November 1, 2023

• Caitlin Spence is arrested in Brookville, Pennsylvania by U.S. Marshals.
• Jeffrey and Karen Spence are arrested in Smyth County, Virginia.
• All three are charged with capital murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and grand larceny.
• Extradition proceedings begin to return them to Mississippi.

November 9, 2023

• Jeffrey Spence purchased a home in Pinegrove Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania, for $95,000 in cash.

November 30, 2023 – Arrest of Caitlin Spence and her parents

• 1:49 PM – U.S. Marshals arrested Caitlin Spence in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
• Jeffrey and Karen Spence were arrested in Smyth County, Virginia

December 1, 2023

• Caitlin Spence waived her extradition rights, and agreed to be surrendered to the Governor of the State of Mississippi where she is facing capital murder charges. Spence was represented by attorney Scott Allen.

February 8, 2024 — Preliminary Hearing

• 9:00 AM: Preliminary hearing for Caitlin Spence, Jeffrey Dean Spence, and Karen Spence convened in Tippah County Circuit Court.
• Defendants were jointly charged with capital murder in the death of Kirby Carpenter and previously indicted for conspiracy to commit grand larceny and two counts of grand larceny.
• Testimony began with Investigator Chris McCallister describing the discovery of the body, physical evidence at the scene, inconsistencies in Caitlin’s statements, and missing security equipment.

April 19, 2024

• A Tippah County grand jury indicts all three on charges including capital murder, conspiracy, and larceny.
• It is revealed that Jeffrey Spence has a prior felony conviction in Pennsylvania for a 2005 wildlife theft case involving a record-breaking deer known as “Goliath.”

July 22, 2024

• A Tippah County judge denied bail for all three suspects

August 21, 2024:

• Karen Spence was granted a $150,000 monetary bail with the conditions that she wear a GPS ankle monitor and surrender her passport.
• Caitlin Spence and Jeffrey Spence are denied bail and remain in custody.

Family issued statement: 

“Some have asked how we feel about the decision made by the court yesterday regarding bond being granted for Karen Spence.While we wish for the people who are responsible for Kirby’s death to be held FULLY accountable, we do have confidence that the decisions made by the court in this case have been made in accordance with the law, and we do not question the court’s decisions or authority. Despite this update, we still feel that justice is being and will be served.”

April 17, 2025

• Caitlin Spence pleads guilty to Accessory to Murder After the Fact in a plea deal. As part of the agreement, she agrees to testify against her parents in upcoming trials. She is released on $10,000 bond with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions. Sentencing will be deferred until after her testimony is complete.

April, 2025 – May 2025:

• Legal proceedings against Jeffrey and Karen Spence are underway.
• Caitlin’s testimony is expected to be a key element in the prosecution’s case.
• In exchange for her testimony, the state will recommend Spence receive a 20-year sentence, give her credit for the more than 16 months she has already served, and have the rest of her sentence suspended. She will also have to serve five years of post-release supervision. The plea agreement also calls for the conspiracy and grand larceny charges to be dismissed.

June, 2025

• Circuit Judge Kelly Luther granted a change of venue motion for Jeffrey Dean Spence, 67, and Karen Spence, 65, who are charged with capital murder in the death of businessman Kirby Carpenter, 36.

September 23, 2025

• The trial will be held at the Pontotoc County Courthouse, starting September 23, 2025

Location: Miller Farm, Clarion County, Pennsylvania
Subject of Theft: ”  Goliath” – a trophy buck kept in a fenced pen
Goliath was a record-setting whitetail buck, owned by Rodney Miller of Clarion County, Pennsylvania.
His estimated value ranged from $800,000 to $8 million, primarily for breeding purposes.
Goliath’s theft caused an uproar in the small but tight-knit whitetail deer breeding community.

October 1999

• Jeffrey Spence visits the Miller farm with his daughter Caitlin Spence.
• Spence views Goliath and allegedly makes a chilling remark:
• “To own a deer like that, it would take my firstborn.”
• Miller becomes suspicious in hindsight, believing Spence was “casing” the property.

October 18, 1999 (Evening)

• Miller observes Goliath behaving unusually, showing breeding interest in an older doe.
• He notes the early-season rut behavior but is unaware of what’s about to happen.

October 19, 1999 (Evening)

• Miller returns home and finds Goliath’s pen empty.
• The chain-link fence is cut, and most does are also missing.

October 20, 1999 (Morning)

• Dew reveals drag marks leading from the pen to the outer fence (also cut).
• Miller deduces Goliath was tranquilized and stolen using a tarp and a truck.
• A dart is discovered nearby — containing human-grade anesthetics, not vet-issue.
• A neighbor reports seeing a maroon pickup truck near the farm early that morning. Miller later confirms that Jeff Spence owned a maroon truck.

1999–2002

• Goliath is missing for 3 years.
• Numerous false sightings occur. Miller is once called to I-80, where a buck was struck — but it isn’t Goliath.

Fall 2002 – Deer Breeders’ Auction

• Miller, at a breeder auction, is approached by Jeff Spence, who oddly asks:
• “Do you know anything about the Goliath case?”
• Miller, emotionally drained, replies,
• “It’s over… My wife told me I have to drop it and move on.”

Late 2002

• A fellow deer breeder sees a suspicious cropped photo of a large buck on Spence’s website.
• The friend visits Spence’s Reynoldsville farm and later returns to Miller with a full-page photo.

Miller: “I didn’t look at the antlers. I looked at the face. I knew that deer. It was Goliath.”

Early 2003

• Miller begins legal efforts to reclaim Goliath.
• Learns that Spence has already sold Goliath to a hunting ranch where he was to be shot.
• The buyer, recognizing Goliath’s genetic value, raises funds to prevent the killing.

2005

• Jeffrey Spence is convicted of felony theft for stealing Goliath.
• Goliath’s legacy becomes the namesake of the RDM Goliath Hunting Lodge in Pennsylvania, where his mount is displayed.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND TESTIMONY Source

• 1994: David Barnes completed school and received a certificate.
• 1998: David Barnes married Amanda Swinford.
• 2012-2013: David Barnes was incarcerated for arson of a church (Falkner Baptist) in Falkner, Mississippi.
• 2016: David Barnes was released from his three-year sentence.
• 2017 (late): David Barnes started working for Kirby Carpenter again.
• 2019 (June 21): Caitlin Spence initially opened her safe deposit box at BancorpSouth (later Cadence Bank) in Booneville.
• 2019 (September 23): Caitlin Spence entered her safe deposit box.
• 2019 (November 27): Caitlin Spence entered her safe deposit box.
• 2019: David Barnes was convicted of burglary (Tippah County) and sentenced to three years, serving nine months.
• 2020 (January 17): Caitlin Spence entered her safe deposit box.
• November 2022 (around the beginning of the month): Caitlin Spence texted Kirby Carpenter asking for his social security number to add him to her life insurance at Tractor Supply.
• November 29, 2022 (Tuesday): Caitlin Spence told law enforcement her parents, Jeffrey and Karen Spence, left the day before Kirby Carpenter was last seen alive. Karen Spence’s phone was later reported as pinging in Georgia and Jeffrey Spence’s phone was pinging around Virginia.
• November 30, 2022 (Wednesday): Kirby Carpenter was last seen alive.
• Prior to leaving for work: Caitlin Spence told an investigator that Kirby Carpenter was asleep when she left for work; they had all had the flu.
• After 6:30 PM: Kirby Carpenter communicated by text message with Caitlin Spence, saying he was passing Geno’s (a tire store in Booneville) and would be home in about 15 minutes.
• Before 7:00 PM – After 7:00 PM: Kirby Carpenter was believed to have arrived home.
• A little after 7:00 PM: Caitlin Spence was observed at the Booneville Wal-Mart with her baby.
• After being at Wal-Mart (approx. 45 minutes after arrival): Caitlin Spence remained in her car and sent texts to Kirby Carpenter (one about a “crazy dog lady” and another asking if he wanted Chinese food), but received no response.
• November 30, 2022 – December 2, 2022: The security system sync box was disconnected, and the local video files were not uploaded to the cloud, and the card was removed from the sync box.
• December 2, 2022 (Friday): Kirby Carpenter’s body was discovered, and the Tippah County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a possible homicide around 12:30 PM.
• Around 12:30 PM: Caitlin Spence called 911. Caitlin Spence was on the phone with Kirby Carpenter’s mother, Mattie Jane Jones, when she discovered the body.
• Day of discovery: Karen and Jeffrey Spence opened a safety deposit box in Virginia.
• December 5, 2022: Caitlin Spence gave a voluntary, Mirandized statement to law enforcement with her attorney present.
• December 7, 2022: Initial appearance for Caitlin Spence on the capital murder charge, where pleas of not guilty were entered, and defense counsel requested a setting for a preliminary hearing and bond.
• December 9, 2022: An entry was made into Caitlin Spence and Karen Spence’s safe deposit box at Cadence Bank.
• December 2022: Handwritten wills for Caitlin Spence and Jeffrey Spence were created.
• December 2022 – January 2023: David Barnes was interviewed by law enforcement for the first time after Kirby Carpenter’s death.
• Post-December 2022: Bags of silver were removed from the trunk of Jeff Spence’s Cadillac (owned by Kirby Carpenter) by Mattie Jane Jones (Kirby’s mother) and observed by deputies.
• Approx. January 2023 (Month or so after discovery): The Blink security system sync box was found behind boxes in the safe room by Kirby Carpenter’s mother, Mattie Jane Jones, while preparing for an auction.
• August 31, 2023: A geofencing search warrant was signed, though it yielded no useful information about any of the Spences.
• November 2, 2023: David Barnes was arrested for burglary charges. This was the same day he provided a statement to law enforcement regarding his conversation with Caitlin Spence at Kirby’s funeral.
• November 8, 2023: Chris McCallister signed an affidavit charging Jeffrey Spence with capital murder, citing the underlying felony as grand larceny.
• February 8, 2024: The Preliminary/Probable Cause Hearing was held.
• February 8, 2024 (during hearing): The charging affidavit was amended to reflect the underlying felony as robbery.
• March 2, 2024: The court reporter certified the transcript.
• 2023 (Past Year, before arrest): Jeffrey Spence purchased a house outright in Pennsylvania.

TRIAL TIMELINE:
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI v. JEFFREY SPENCE
Plotting Parents Murder Trial
September 24 to September 29, 2025

DAY 1 – September 24, 2025 –  Opening Statements and First Witnesses

• Prosecution Opening Statement
  Prosecutor Thad Mueller stated that Jeffrey was motivated by greed and killed Carpenter on November 30, 2022.
  Explained how Caitlin met Carpenter and that they had a child in 2022.
  Said that items belonging to Carpenter were found in the Spence home.
• Defense Opening Statement
  Attorney David Hill argued Jeffrey was in Virginia on the day of the murder.
  Said Jeff and Karen left Mississippi on November 29 after Thanksgiving.
  Challenged the credibility of David Barnes and Caitlin.
  Claimed Carpenter lived a dangerous lifestyle, sold lab diamonds, and was involved in drug trafficking.
  Said Jeffrey purchased items from Carpenter, which explained why he had them.
• Investigator Chris McAllister
  Responded to the scene and described Caitlin’s distressed 911 call.
  Carpenter’s body was thirty feet from the carport, covered by a curtain with a toolbox on top.
  Keys, cash, and groceries were still in his truck and pockets.
  Observed drag marks indicating the body had been moved.
  Believed the killer was someone who knew Carpenter.
  Confirmed the Blink camera system captured nothing.
  A satchel Carpenter carried was missing.
• Attorney Bart Adams, Estate Attorney
  Represented Carpenter for more than a decade.
  Confirmed Carpenter regularly handled valuable coins, precious metals, cash, and guitars.
  Described chaos at the property after the death with multiple people removing items.
  Designated Mattie Jane as estate administrator and directed her to secure property.
  Said Jeffrey was observed removing bags of silver.
  Explained why estate items were moved to a vault and then his office.
  The vault was targeted in a break in but nothing was stolen.
  His office was later burglarized with an estimated loss of 3000 to 4000 dollars.
  Estimated the estate value at approximately 1.5 million dollars.
  Said little cash, gold, or silver was found despite Carpenter’s business activities.

DAY 2 – September 25, 2025 –  Crime Scene, Arrest Evidence, Forensic Testimony, and Testimony of Caitlin Spence

• Assistant Chief Scott Watson, Ripley Police Department
  Performed cellphone extractions on devices belonging to Jeffrey, Karen, and Carpenter.
  Responded to the homicide scene as deputy coroner.
  Observed injuries to Carpenter’s neck and shoulder.
  Confirmed autopsy findings that Carpenter died of shotgun wounds to the neck and chest.
  Toxicology showed no drugs or alcohol in Carpenter’s system.
• Brad Johnson, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office
  Arrested Jeffrey and Karen in Virginia.
  Jeffrey was solemn and quiet. Karen appeared calm but nervous.
  Recovered keys to a safe deposit box, keys to a storage unit, phones, and approximately 17000 dollars in cash from Jeffrey’s Cadillac. Some cash was wrapped in foil.
  Opened Jeffrey’s safe deposit box and found coins, cash, Federal Reserve plastics, counterfeit style items, wills, and a ninety dollar check from Carpenter to David Barnes dated April 20, 2022.
  Defense emphasized that ownership of these items could not be determined or dated.
• Lt. Tony McCormick, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office
  Executed a search warrant at the Spence residence in Virginia.
  Recovered a shotgun wrapped in a blue jacket from the master bedroom.
  Karen had previously denied that any firearms were in the home.
  Located shotgun shells of mixed types inside the weapon.
  Described foil wrapped money as typical for locating currency using metal detectors.
  Documented an empty U Haul and photographed collected items.
• Testimony of Caitlin Spence
  Confirmed her relationship timeline with Carpenter.
  Described her activities on November 29 and 30, including communications with Kirby and her parents.
  Recounted discovering Kirby missing and later finding his body with Kirby’s mother.
  Testified that Jeffrey confessed to returning to Mississippi to deliver drugs to Kirby and warned her not to speak to authorities.
  Described a June 2023 waterfall walk during which Jeffrey again pressured her and suggested she could lose custody of Enola if she talked.
  Confirmed texts where Jeffrey referenced starting a business called Assassin Inc.
  Admitted Carpenter sold drugs and had many conflicts with others but denied involvement herself.
  Acknowledged past abuse by Carpenter.
  Denied participating in moving the body.
  Defense challenged her credibility, pointing to timeline inconsistencies and suggesting she fabricated accusations.
  On redirect she reaffirmed that only Jeffrey confessed and said she came forward to protect her daughter.

DAY 3 – September 26, 2025 – Family Testimony, State Rests, Defense Rests

• Testimony of Carolyn Aguayo, daughter of Jeffrey Spence
  Described strained family dynamics and financial instability.
  Said Jeff and Karen moved in with her and her husband in 2014 due to money problems.
  Jeff was facing embezzlement charges and was unemployed.
  Both families moved to Virginia intending to build a cabin for Jeff and Karen.
  Jeff frequently watched shows like Breaking Bad and The Blacklist and made comments about how to kill someone. He said he would use a shotgun because it only required one shot and was easier to dispose of casings.
  Aguayo said Jeff cut the cord to her security camera after being asked to remove his belongings.
  He later returned with a knife and was accused of taking tools and legal documents.
  She stopped speaking to her parents and said Karen encouraged Jeff’s criminal behavior.
  She testified that her family used coded language.
• State Rests
  The state rested its case.
• Defendant Declines to Testify
  Jeffrey Spence chose not to take the stand.
• Defense Rests
  The defense presented no witnesses and rested.

DAY 4 – September 29, 2025 – Closing Arguments, Jury Deliberations, Mistrial

• State’s Closing Argument presented by Prosecutor Thad Mueller
  Argued that Jeffrey Spence murdered Kirby Carpenter on November 30, 2022 after robbing him.
  Reviewed testimony from Caitlin Spence, including her statement that Jeffrey said he returned to Mississippi to deliver a package of drugs and later made a full confession during their June 2023 waterfall walk.
  Stated that Carpenter’s bank safety deposit box was opened on December 2, two hours before his body was found.
  A loaded, muddy shotgun wrapped in a jacket was found under Jeffrey’s bed at his home in Virginia.
  Prosecution stated that security cameras at both Carpenter’s home and the Spence residence had been disabled. They argued Jeffrey knew where Carpenter kept his spare key through information from Caitlin.
  Evidence in the garage showed signs of a struggle, including drag marks and mud on Carpenter’s pants.
  Prosecution said all evidence pointed directly to Jeffrey.
• Defense Closing Argument delivered by Attorney David Hill
  Argued that the prosecution’s timeline was impossible and would require 30 to 36 hours of driving over 2000 miles.
  Claimed that Caitlin fabricated evidence to protect herself and alleged she was involved in Carpenter’s drug and gun activities.
  Argued that David Barnes is not a credible witness.
  Said there is no proof establishing when Jeffrey came into possession of items found in the safe deposit box.
  Claimed Carpenter had many enemies due to alleged drug dealing, violent disputes, and emotionally abusive behavior.
• Jury Deadlock
  After nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury sent a note that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
  The jury was split six to six.
  The judge instructed them to continue deliberating.
• Mistrial Declared
  After approximately four and a half hours of deliberation, the jury remained deadlocked six to six.
  The judge declared a mistrial.
  Jeffrey Spence remained in custody.
  A new trial date is expected to be scheduled in 2026.
• Courtroom Emergency
  Immediately after the mistrial announcement, Kirby Carpenter’s mother collapsed in the courtroom.
  She was overcome with emotion and began wailing loudly.
  Paramedics were called and she later recovered.