SCOTTSVILLE — The defense’s investigation continues in a murder case in Allen County, the suspect’s attorney said in court Tuesday.

Glen Snook, 69, of Adolphus, returned to Allen Circuit Court for a pretrial conference in his case, in which he is charged with murder, second-degree arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Snook is accused of fatally shooting Johnny “J.L.” Crawford, 31, of Bethpage, Tennessee, on March 11.

At Tuesday’s hearing, attorney Kayla Fugate of the Department of Public Advocacy said that the defense’s investigation of the matter remains ongoing and requested another pretrial conference.

Allen Circuit Judge Mark Thurmond set an April 1 court date and indicated that he would likely use that hearing to set the case for trial.

“What I would be looking for (on April 1) is an update as to the investigation,” Thurmond said. “I would be looking at a trial date regardless of the status of the investigation.”

Crawford’s death was investigated by Kentucky State Police, which arrested Snook on March 21.

KSP became involved in the investigation the previous day after being contacted by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office to assist in what was at that point a missing persons investigation.

According to an arrest citation, Crawford’s mother informed authorities she had not been in contact with her son for several days and that she and her husband went to her son’s last known residence on McDonald Road, where he stayed with his girlfriend, and found a boot belonging to Crawford near a burn pit in the backyard.

Police called to the residence found Crawford’s body in the burn pit, and detectives eventually learned that Snook had threatened “on several different occasions” to kill Crawford, according to court records.

“A witness also advised that they had observed video surveillance from this residence showing (Snook) moving a large red trash can and that after they inspected it, they observed what appeared to be large amounts of blood inside the trash can,” Snook’s arrest citation said.

Detectives viewed video footage that reportedly linked Snook to the burn pit, and then obtained a search warrant for Snook’s home on Blankenship Road.

Snook was taken into custody after police found him hiding in his residence, his citation said, and he was interviewed at the Scottsville Police Department.

“When asked why he believed he was there, Snook stated, ‘because I killed that man,’ ” Snook’s arrest citation said.

Snook claimed to have gotten into a verbal altercation with Crawford at the McDonald Road property, fired two warning shots over Crawford’s head and another three shots as Crawford neared and then crossed a fence.

According to Snook’s arrest citation, Snook claimed that Crawford brandished a switchblade knife and threatened Snook with it.