The pretrial hearing in the murder case against 48-year-old Billy Craig Jr., one of the suspects in the shooting death of Jennifer Heckel was held Wednesday afternoon, and it amounted to setting a motion deadline of June 8, and a status hearing for June 11.
That decision by the judge coming after Craig’s defense attorney, Donald Snapp indicated that he would seek a continuance in the trial, which is currently set for July 17. Judge Tim Chambers says he’ll keep the trial date the same for now, but Snapp told us after the hearing that the first motion he will file is a motion to continue the trial. He says that he has a new attorney, Tony Atterbury and an assistant, Molly McMurray, with the Wichita law firm, Depew Gillen Rathbun & McInteer, LC. He says they’ll need to get up to speed on all the evidence presented as discovery for the defense including 90-disc that will need to gone through. Snapp anticipates a lot of motions being filed in this case.
Craig along with co-defendant Charles Christopher Logsdon are charged with the murder of Jennifer Heckel last summer. Other charges include conspiracy to commit first degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Meanwhile, Craig was bound over in two other cases following a preliminary hearing.
Craig’s alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to commit crimes associated with a fake driver’s licenses. The state is alleges that he along with Kylie Hartman and Kasey Pisoni were involved and had planned to make checks using the false driver’s licenses, with others names, but their pictures. The checks would be forged all over the state for cash and merchandise. Charges include conspiracy to commit a computer crime, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud. He was bound over in that case which allegedly occurred last spring. He claimed during the hearing that Pisoni was his common law wife, and therefore couldn’t testify, citing marital privilege, but Judge Joe McCarville ruled they couldn’t show proof that the two were in fact a common law married couple.
Pisoni, who now lives back in Stafford County broke into tears as she started her testimony, at one point telling the defendant that she loved him. After repeated warnings from a Reno County Jail guard that Craig needed to stop talking to the witness, as well as constantly talking with his attorney during testimony, Judge McCarville warned him that any communication with his lawyer during testimony should be done by writing it down as opposed to stating it vocally.
He’ll be arraigned on this case on May 7, in front of Judge Trish Rose.
In the drug case, he was eventually bound over on an amended complaint filed by Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton, adding additional charges. The complaint now include the sale of methamphetamine within a thousand feet of Hutchinson High School, attempted sale of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package. Possession of marijuana with a prior conviction, and unlawful possession of a fake drivers license.
Sheriff Detective, Sgt., Sean McClay testified that they did a search warrant on the apartment at 900 East 11th, which according to a GPS readings is 549.6 feet away from Hutchinson High School, they allegedly found numerous items that would suggest the selling of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia used to distribute the drugs. They also found owe sheets, and 457-dollars in cash.
Also on the stand was Police Detective Tyson Meyers who actually gathered the evidence as other officers discovered them red off a laundry list of items they found, and seized during the search.
This case occurring between June 1 and June 5, 2011. The state didn’t specify specific dates because of fear it might identify the confidential informant. It’s believed she may have been the intended target when Jennifer Heckel was murdered.
With him being bound over in the drug case, he’ll be arraigned on May 7, in front of Judge Tim Chambers.