JONESBORO - A Craighead County circuit judge has moved to September the capital-murder trial of a Jonesboro woman accused of hiring someone to kill her husband.
The trial of Michelle Despain, accused in the Aug. 24, 2011, slaying of Marc Despain, 34, will begin on Sept. 8 in Jonesboro, said Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington.
Circuit Judge Victor Hill moved the trial, which was set for May 5, to allow defense attorneys a chance to look at new evidence the Jonesboro Police Department provided after checking Michelle Despain’s cellphone.
Ellington said the Police Department’s forensic unit ran the phone records through a new program and issued a 3,000-page report of those records. Ellington said there was no new evidence found, but defense attorneys needed time to examine the documents.
It’s the second time the trial has been rescheduled. The trial was first set to begin on Jan. 6, but Hill moved it to May 5 to allow defense attorneys time to look at new prosecutorial evidence at the time.
Three people, including Michelle Despain’s father, Carl Kelley, have pleaded guilty in the slaying, and each has been sentenced to prison.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 04/19/2014