NEW DETAILS:
OZARK, Ala. (WDHN) —One of the big topics discussed this morning was the defense questioning what would happen if one of the jurors test positive for COVID-19.
From there, Judge Filmore says he is open to having a couple of extra jurors in case of a COVID-19 case but says both the state and McCraney’s have to agree.
OZARK, Ala. (WDHN) — On Thursday, a motions hearing began in the trial of a man accused of killing of two high schoolers from Dothan in 1999. This hearing comes shortly before the trial of Coley McCraney is expected to begin.
Motions were made on both sides of the courtroom on Thursday regarding evidence in the case before the trial begins in mid-August.
Defense attorneys for McCraney made efforts to withdraw a statement that Coley made to former Ozark Police Chief Marlos Walker. McCraney claimed that he, “didn’t know who those girls were,” about the slain girls, JB Beasley and Tracey Hawlett.
The defense argues that they are missing that statement and that this is unfair that they are being ambushed by the state and the court.
That motion was denied by Judge William Filmore because he says the defense has received all of the statements.
Both the state and defense attorneys discussed a possible witness to the crime who called the police the night of Beasley’s and Hawlett’s deaths.
The defense says they were told that the car that was involved in the 1999 incident was destroyed. They want to know who approved the destruction of the vehicle that was allegedly owned by Beasley.
“If we had all of the information we might be able to figure who killed these children,” McCraney’s defense attorney, David Harrison said.
The state said the car was investigated by the Department of Forensic Sciences.
In a final push after back and forth between the state and defense, Harrison stated, “This case does not need to be continued.”
A final motions hearing is scheduled for August 4th. Jury selection is scheduled for August 8th, with the full trial expected to begin on August 15th.
