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Last updated on Monday, June 24, 2013
(BLOOMFIELD) - Greene County Prosecutors and defense attorneys have reached an agreement that saying jurors in the Randal Crosley murder trial will not be from Greene County.
Crosley is one of two men charged with the murder of missing Linton teen Katelyn Wolfe.
The decision was approved Friday after defense attorney Alan Baughman requested the jury be drawn from another county because of several reasons including pre-trial publicity and hostility against Crosley.
It also claims Crosley would be unable to receive a fair trial because of, public outrage over the offense, prejudicial news reporting or editorializing which castigates the defendant, speculative opinions as to the personality and character of the accused, and the existence and contents of confessions or prior criminal records.
The Greene County Daily World reports, on Friday afternoon, Judge Dena Martin heard evidence from the defense supporting the change of venue that the trail and jury be picked from a different county. 26-year-old Crosley, of Jasonville, was present during the hearing.
Greene County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw, representing the State, and Baughman both told Judge Martin they had come to an agreement.
Judge Martin denied the motion for the change of venue but did issue an order that the jury would be drawn from residents outside of Greene County.
The other suspect charged in Katelyn Wolfe's murder is 25-year-old Jordan Buskirk, also from Jasonville.
During Buskirk's initial hearing, Deputy Public Defender Jacob Fish was appointed to provide legal representation to Buskirk. As of late Friday, Fish had not requested a change of venue for Fish's trial.
Both Crosley and Buskirk face charges of murder; conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit rape and criminal confinement. They are both being held without bond in the Greene County Jail.
In addition, Crosley was charged with two counts of dealing in a Schedule IV controlled substance.
The prosecutor has declined to comment on whether he might seek the death penalty or a sentence of life without parole in either case.
Pre-trial conferences are scheduled in both cases in early August.
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