{Hazard, Kentucky}...The trial for Sarah Melton, a Perry County woman accused of injuring her brother, Bill Couch, and killing her brother's girlfriend, Cindy Caudill, continued Friday. William Deming, the brother of Melton and Couch, Ronnie Lawson and Kenneth Brown, a retired Deputy Police Chief, were the first three witnesses called to the stand. Each testified that Bill Couch is a very violent, very aggressive person. These statements support the defense's argument that Melton was threatened by Couch at the time of the shooting. Dr. James Walker, a neuropsychologist, testified that he believes Melton was afraid Couch was going to burn her trailer down or shoot her trailer or harm her children, and because of her mania and post traumatic stress disorder, Melton lacked substantial capacity to control her actions the day of the shooting. Walker said the history of manic episodes described by neighbors and her psychotherapist were enough to diagnose Melton with post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Walker told the jury about the alleged physical and sexual abuse Melton underwent beginning at age 12, when she first sought psychiatric treatment.
