MORGANTOWN — A Butler County woman suspected in a 2021 homicide is scheduled to go to trial early next year.

Samantha J. Stewart, 47, of Morgantown, is charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Stewart is accused of killing Michael J. Embry, 57, whose body was found May 12, 2021, in his home on Caneyville Road.

The indictment charging Stewart with the crimes alleges that Embry’s death occurred on either May 8 or 9, 2021.

Stewart, who is currently being held in Warren County Regional Jail under a $250,000 cash bond, appeared by video for a pretrial conference Tuesday in Butler Circuit Court, in which her attorney, Eric Clark of the Department of Public Advocacy, requested a trial date.

Butler Circuit Judge Tim Coleman set Stewart’s trial for March 31, with a final pretrial conference scheduled for March 11 next year.

Kentucky State Police investigated Embry’s death.

Initially, Embry was considered a missing person when his family contacted law enforcement on May 11, 2021.

KSP Detective Shae Foley testified during a 2021 preliminary hearing in Butler District Court that law enforcement went to Embry’s residence on that date and spent a short time there, only to return the following day with the owner of the property, at which point Embry’s body was found under a large pile of clothing and clutter.

Police spoke with a neighbor who reported last seeing Embry on May 8, 2021, when he and Stewart went into his residence.

Another neighbor told police she attempted to go to the residence on May 9, 2021, and got no response when she knocked on the door, Foley testified. 

That neighbor returned to the house the next day and reported being given brief access by Stewart, Foley said.

Foley testified that police learned the property owner directed Stewart to vacate the residence at some point, and she “bounced around to a few locations over the next few days” until she was located May 13, 2021, at a residence on Ky. 70, where she was detained.

Stewart made no admissions when she was interviewed by police at KSP headquarters, and she was arrested on a warrant.

After being booked into Butler County Jail, however, Stewart called police from there and asked to speak with detectives, who came to the jail to interview her, Foley testified in 2021.

“During the interview, Ms. Stewart had confirmed the timeline that had been developed (by law enforcement) through speaking with members of the family, immediate neighbors and other individuals that had contact with (Stewart and Embry),” Foley said.

During the interview, Stewart gave her account of what happened in Embry’s home.

“Stewart stated that her and Mr. Embry had an altercation that ended in Mr. Embry having a belt placed around his neck and then being stabbed an unstated number of times by Ms. Stewart,” Foley said during the 2021 preliminary hearing.

An autopsy determined Embry had been stabbed six times, but the wounds were “shallow in nature,” Foley said.

Asked by Stewart’s attorney at the preliminary hearing what caused the altercation, Foley testified that Stewart reported waking up to Embry on top of her.

“Unwanted sexual advances would be a polite way to put it,” Foley said.

The detective testified that Stewart told police she fought off Embry, and the two wrestled for a few moments before Embry ended up in a chair.

Stewart recalled wrapping a belt around Embry’s neck, pulling it taut and using a black-handled knife to stab him, Foley said.

“She said that she knows she didn’t let go of the belt. However, she does not recall how many times she stabbed him,” Foley said.