HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The preliminary hearing for the suspect in a fatal shooting on Sept. 22 was continued Thursday morning after District Attorney Keith Schroeder told Judge Joe McCarville that a critical witness for the state was unavailable.

Thirty-four-year-old Quinton Moore is charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen. He’s accused of going to a residence at 1701 E. 30th and shooting Allen multiple times with a handgun before leaving. Allen was found by a friend later in the morning laying in bed with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and face.

Schroeder says the witness apparently moved out of the city without them knowing, so requested the continuance. He also noted that they just received the autopsy results on Wednesday and those results have not been presented to the defense.

The defense didn’t oppose the continuance since it hasn’t seen the report. Judge McCarville agreed to the continuance, noting that he sealed the autopsy report, meaning it can’t be seen by the public or the media at this point.

The charge against Moore is an off-grid felony with a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years if convicted.

He remains jailed on a $500,000 bond. Judge McCarville set a new hearing date of Feb. 1.