BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A man accused of murdering two people at a southern Bourbon County home went before a judge this afternoon to answer to the charges against him.
The families of both victims spoke to LEX 18's Kayleigh Randle today about the shock and pain of losing their loved ones.
For the first time, Christopher Taulbee, 19, who's charged with murder, is in a Bourbon County courtroom for his arraignment. Taulbee entered a not-guilty plea in connection to the killings of 20-year-old Dixie Brainard and 24-year-old Charles Callaway.
"We're not gonna let her memory die in the way that he wanted her to go away. That's not going to be Dixies story," said Daniel Brainard, Dixie's dad.
According to the arrest warrant, Taulbee shot Dixie Brainard in the forehead, killing her. The warrant also reads that Taulbee stabbed the man, that the Bourbon County Coroner, DeeGee Roe, identified as Charles Callaway, in the throat and hit him with a baseball bat in the head numerous times, killing him.
Daniel Brainard says Dixie was a protective mom of her four-month-old son Kasey and was beyond strong. "She was very tough Dixie didn't back down from nothing. Like I said, he had to use a gun to get to her because he knew that she couldn't - he couldn't take her down."
Callaway leaves behind two kids.
Crystal Brown, Charles older sister, and his other siblings got the call on Tuesday that Charles was the second victim. "When we found out, we all just packed up and drove here as fast as we could. It's just a shame because a good person- even his kids lost a good dad. He came here to start a new life or job and he wanted to travel and be a new person. He was full of life."
The last time the siblings spoke to Charles was a couple of months ago. Now, they stand together with the Brainard family to get justice for Dixie and Charles.
"I hope he has the pain inflicted on him everyday because there's not going to be a day that goes by that we don't have the pain of our daughter being gone," said Daniel Brainard.
"I don't want him to be forgotten, and his kids deserve to know who he is and even Dixie, you know, they're both victims in this and they deserve justice," said Brown.
Taulbee is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Bourbon County on Wednesday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m.
