By ANDY LYONS
(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) – The trial date for one of the men charged in the killing of Warrensburg bar owner William “Blaine” Whitworth was rescheduled Monday.
Judge R. Michael Wagner and attorneys for Ziyad T. Abid, who faces first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, agreed to reset the trial to Aug. 20-23. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. July 15.
The jury trial was originally set to begin June 4. The change was made to allow the prosecution and defense time to prepare for the trial.
A jury will be transported from Jackson County to the Johnson County Justice Center for Abid’s trial.
As the hearing concluded, one of Abid’s attorneys asked Wagner about the $2 million deposited in the Justice Center’s account before Abid’s bond was denied. Wagner said it was in a separate account and drawing interest.
In early April, Wagner amended Judge Jacqueline Cook’s prior order allowing Abid a chance to bond out of the Johnson County Jail, where he has been held since Sept. 5, 2012. Wagner denied Abid bond.
During a hearing May 3, Wagner denied the defense’s motion for a change of judge or recusal.
The state has begun listing its evidence through the discovery process, which is where both sides share evidence, witnesses and other information. In court filings from April 9, Johnson County Prosecutor Lynn Stoppy presented the state’s trial evidence, which includes an autopsy report of Whitworth, crime scene photographs, phone records and a recorded interview of Abid.
Abid is a former UCM student from Saudi Arabia.
According to court records, the state has filed a list of 44 witnesses for the trial of Reginald L. Singletary, who is also charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Whitworth’s death.
He has a pretrial conference scheduled for Aug. 5. His trial is set to begin Sept. 17 in the Division II courtroom at the Johnson County Justice Center.
Singletary is being held at the Johnson County Jail on a $1 million bond. He told police after he was arrested that he shot Whitworth with a handgun in exchange for money, according to court records.