The "cold case" murder trial in which Adolphus Lebron Hollingsworth is charged with killing his wife, Vicky, 17 years ago has been delayed.
The case had been set for trial on Nov. 4. However, District Attorney Neal Pinkston said a state forensic anthropologist who will testify in the case recently moved to Washington, D.C. He said she could not be present on Nov. 4, but can later.
The new trial date is Jan. 6.
Defense attorney Stephen Brown on Monday raised a number of issues, but Judge Rebecca Stern did not rule out any of the state's evidence.
Attorney Brown said there are no photos of tire tracks in the back yard of Hollingsworth's residence that supposedly match the victim's car. The 1988 Mustang was found in the yard of her parents.
Prosecutors said the tire tracks led to bushes at the rear of the Hollingsworth property, and the bushes match a branch that was wedged on the back of the vehicle.
Attorney Brown also questioned the fact that a TV show, Cold Justice, paid for a DNA test on suspected blood found in the floorboard of the victim's car. The test by a private lab showed a match with DNA from the daughter of the victim.
Bill Phillips, detective on the case who still supervises investigators, said he was glad to get the quick results. He said it can take over a year to get such a blood test back from the TBI lab.
Sgt. Phillips remembered that there was a very strong smell of a gasoline-type substance inside the victim's car as well as "stains that looked to be blood."
District Attorney Pinkston said a TBI test at the time did show human blood. He said DNA testing was not available at the time.
He said the Mustang was towed to Amnicola Highway to be inspected, but was later given back. He said the police impoundment lot has limited space.
Attorney Brown noted that Hollingsworth was released by mistake soon after his arrest on the murder indictment. He said it happened when officials at a Texas jail in Amarillo called Hamilton County, Tex., to ask if they had a hold on him. Hollingsworth then went to Ohio on a boilermaker job.
The prosecution indicated it will use that fact as evidence of flight.
Hollingsworth, who had remarried, is under $200,000 bond.