Billy Proffitt enters not guilty plea in McCreary County case tied to death of Gene Cooper

Billy Proffitt pleaded not guilty to a homicide charge connected to the death of Gene Cooper during a court appearance in McCreary Circuit Court on Monday, according to LEX18. During the hearing, Proffitt’s attorney waived a formal arraignment and entered the not guilty plea on his behalf, and the case proceeded under the homicide charge as prosecutors seek to bring it forward through the court process.

LEX18 reported that Cooper’s brother reacted to the plea, saying he “miss[es] him,” underscoring the family’s public response as the matter moved into the pretrial phase. The remarks, made around the time of the hearing, reflected the human impact of a case that now turns on evidence and legal procedure rather than statements from the family in the courtroom.

The hearing took place in McCreary Circuit Court, where the not guilty plea sets the posture for future proceedings. A not guilty plea means Proffitt’s legal status remains contested, and the prosecution must continue presenting evidence to support the homicide charge before a jury or other finder of fact, depending on how the case is ultimately resolved.

LEX18 reported that the defense waived formal arraignment, a procedural step that typically involves the court formally reading or confirming the charges and the defendant entering an initial plea. By waiving that step and entering not guilty immediately, the parties moved more quickly into the portion of the process focused on what will happen next, including how the case will be managed as it progresses.

Homicide charges in Kentucky carry serious potential consequences if the state proves its case. In the current stage described by LEX18, the public record centers on the plea and the charge itself, not on trial testimony or adjudicated findings of guilt.

As the case moves forward from the initial plea, the court and parties will continue handling procedural matters that commonly follow an arraignment or plea, including scheduling and managing pretrial litigation related to evidence and motions. The outcome of those steps will shape what the court considers as the prosecution seeks to prove the allegations tied to Cooper’s death and the defense works to contest them.

For Cooper’s family and the broader community, the next phases of the case will determine when a fuller evidentiary process occurs and how the allegations described in the charging document will be tested in court. Until then, the record remains anchored to the not guilty plea and the homicide charge filed against Proffitt in McCreary Circuit Court.