Airline pilot busted in 3 Kentucky slays

An airline pilot was arrested over the weekend in connection with the 2015 fatal shooting of three people in Kentucky, according to authorities.

Christian Martin, who flies for an American Airlines subsidiary, was taken into custody Saturday at Louisville International Airport a day after being indicted by a grand jury in Christian County. Martin (photo) had moved from Kentucky to North Carolina after the slayings, according to the Kentucky state attorney general’s office.

He has been a pilot for subsidiary PSA Airlines since January 2018. American Airlines said in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation.

Martin is accused in the shooting deaths of married couple Calvin and Pamela Phillips of Pembroke and neighbor Edward Dansereau. Calvin Phillips was found dead in the cellar of his home, and the bodies of the other two victims were found a few miles away in a cornfield inside Pamela Phillips’ burned car.

“We are overwhelmed with this positive step towards resolution for people we love dearly,” family members said in a statement. “We look forward to justice in court, and we look forward to a verdict to bring an end to this terror, and a fresh start at healing.”

Investigators have not revealed a motive for the slayings. Relatives of Calvin and Pamela Phillips had offered a $100,000 reward.

“I hope this is a day that brings some justice to these families,” Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said. “There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families.” Martin was being held without bond after being charged with murder, arson, burglary and tampering with physical evidence. American Airlines said in a statement that a background check on Martin found no “criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot.”