Murder suspect Cortemius Martez Peoples faced his first preliminary hearing on Wednesday for the shooting and murder of 25-year-old Nick Decker.
During the hearing, Owensboro Police Department said a fingerprint was left behind at the scene of the crime, and that the fingerprint matched Peoples’.
Peoples, 42, was arrested and charged on June 15 for the murder of Decker. The shooting occurred on June 9 in the 1500 block of West Ninth Street. During a press conference, OPD Public Information Officer Andrew Boggess said it was likely that Peoples and Decker knew of each other before the shooting occurred.
An exact motive for the murder has not yet been determined, but Boggess said investigators believed Peoples to be the shooter. The evidence left behind by the suspect gives investigators physical proof that Peoples was at the scene of the homicide.
However, OPD continues investigating the homicide in the attempt to secure and name a second suspect. Video surveillance showed two different people exiting the W. 9th St. residence the night of the shooting.
Peoples had previously committed a burglary at that same residence in May.
“Back in May, he had committed a previous burglary there,” Boggess said. “We’re still investigating it. The investigation is still very much open. There’s a lot of evidence to process.”
Peoples is being charged with murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon in relation Decker’s homicide.
