The woman accused of fatally shooting Dealynn O’Connor in her Smiths Grove home was arraigned Tuesday in Warren Circuit Court.

Mary Rebecca Thompson, 35, of Cave City, made her first appearance before Warren Circuit Judge John Grise on charges of murder and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, which were returned in separate indictments.

Thompson said she could not afford an attorney, and Grise appointed Kristy Vick-Stratton of the state Department of Public Advocacy to represent her.

Authorities accuse Thompson of shooting O’Connor, 51, on June 15. Kentucky State Police were notified about O’Connor two days later following a 911 call and found her body in the bedroom of her rental home at 1325 Hays Lodge Road in Smiths Grove.

A state medical examiner’s report determined O’Connor died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to previous court testimony.

A KSP investigation led to the development of Thompson as a suspect, and police conducted surveillance on a residence on Richpond-Rockfield Road after receiving information that Thompson was staying there.

At a preliminary hearing in July in Warren District Court, KSP Detective Michael Wathen testified that Thompson was observed by investigators walking between the house and a camper in the yard.

Thompson was arrested July 7 after a standoff of several hours. Police called for her to come out of the house before law enforcement eventually used CS gas, a type of tear gas, to coax her outside, at which point she was arrested.

After being brought to The Medical Center for decontamination, Thompson was taken to KSP Post 3 for an interview.

“She confessed to shooting and killing the victim,” Wathen testified at the July preliminary hearing.

A pretrial conference has been set for Oct. 17.

According to Kentucky Department of Corrections online records, Thompson is serving a five-year sentence in Warren County Regional Jail for possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, which arose from an unrelated case.

The DOC website lists several aliases for Thompson, including “Redneck Thompson.”

Thompson has charges pending against her from separate investigations for first-degree fleeing and evading police and first-degree wanton endangerment related to a police pursuit in the Smiths Grove area that was not connected to the homicide.

In another case, Thompson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree bail jumping. Neither of those cases were addressed at Tuesday’s arraignment.

— Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.