RUSSELLVILLE — A man accused of fatally shooting a man in Logan County who had contacted an escort service remains on schedule for a jury trial early next year.

Maleek A. Goodson, 26, of Clarksville, was scheduled to appear Thursday in Logan Circuit Court for a pretrial conference.

Goodson is charged with murder, first-degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of Ronald W. Cable, 57, of Lewisburg.

Cable was shot on Aug. 11, 2022, outside his home on Deer Lick Road.

Goodson, however, was not brought to court from Logan County Detention Center because his court-appointed attorney, Diana Werkman of the Department of Public Advocacy, was unable to appear for Thursday’s court docket.

Logan Circuit Judge Joe Hendricks continued proceedings to Dec. 19.

Goodson’s jury trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 3, although Hendricks entered an order last month referring the case to mediation, which could result in a plea agreement.

A grand jury indicted Goodson and Elizabeth Ford, 39, of Clarksville, in 2022.

Ford was charged originally with complicity to murder, tampering with physical evidence and prostitution.

In March, Ford pleaded guilty to first-degree hindering prosecution/apprehension, a reduced charge from the original complicity count, and to the tampering and prostitution counts.

Court records indicate that Ford has given a deposition to be used at Goodson’s trial and was released Aug. 30 from jail on her own recognizance as she awaits her sentencing on Feb. 27.

The Kentucky State Police investigated Cable’s death.

According to a complaint warrant filed in the case, witnesses reported that Cable was shot after following a woman to a dark gray SUV and hanging onto the vehicle as it pulled away. 

“As the SUV pulled away, witnesses stated that they heard gunshots, and shortly thereafter, Ronald Cable stated that he had been shot,” KSP Detective Gary Travis said in the warrant.

Detectives examined Cable’s cellphone, finding evidence of contact shortly before the shooting with a number connected to a profile on an online escort service, according to court records.

The account on the escort service website was linked by detectives to Ford, the warrant said.

A text message exchange appeared to show Cable arranging to pay $500 for prostitution services, according to an affidavit for a search warrant for Goodson’s phone sought by KSP Detective Michael Waggener.

Police later obtained surveillance footage from a Clarksville motel from the day of the shooting that allegedly shows Goodson and Ford leaving a room and driving away in a gray SUV.

Waggener said in his affidavit for a search warrant for Goodson’s phone that the investigation appeared to turn up a $500 payment from Cable to Goodson over CashApp shortly before the shooting took place.