Franklin Co. murder suspect Derek Garten arraigned in court

Tuesday will mark one week since a Frankfort woman was shot and killed insider her home. Today, the man charged in the crime faced a judge for the first time in the case.

Derek Garten appeared at his arraignment today via video and had a not guilty plea entered for him. He faces charges of murder, tampering with evidence and terroristic threatening.

The woman he’s accused of killing, his ex-girlfriend Margaret Smith, had an emergency protective order filed against him when she was killed.

Garten told the court he would need an attorney appointed for him today.

Garten was on the run for days, until he was arrested Friday following a standoff with police at a Lexington motel that lasted hours.

Hours before Garten threw out his weapons to police and surrendered, Garten posted on his Facebook page, taking responsibility for killing Smith. Garten’s morning post read, “This is the end of the road for me today.”

Garten is being held in the Shelby County Detention Center on a $500,000 cash bond. He'll be back in court next Tuesday for his preliminary hearing.

Another man, Billy Turner, who police say drove Garten to and from Smith’s home on Meadow Glen Drive, also faces charges. He is being charged with complicity to murder and complicity to tampering with evidence.

Authorities say they are keeping Garten and Turner separated in different jails.