Joe Whittenburg appears before judge

PIKEVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – Joe Whittenburg appeared in court Monday morning charged with the homicide of a mother and daughter in Pikeville last week.

The bodies of Dedra and Deanna Lawrence were found in a home on Sawmill road.

Investigators say Whittenburg was the boyfriend of Dedra.

He wasn’t arrested until he got out of the hospital on Sunday.

In court, Whittenburg was appointed a lawyer, but wasn’t given bond until a later bond hearing.