Reluctantly, judge grants murder trial delay PONTIAC — The murder trial of a former Cullom woman has been delayed until Jan. 6. Ford County Judge Stephen Pacey on Thursday reluctantly moved the trial date from Oct. 21 after learning from Heather Lamie’s attorney that there still were complications re-garding access to a computer seized at her residence. In addition, John Coghlan, the attorney representing Lamie, said he had yet to get a forensic pathologist to testify in the case. Lamie, 30, now of Kankakee County, is charged with two counts of murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child in the May 2011 death of Kianna Rudesill, 4, who was a foster child in Lamie’s Cullom home. In August, Coghlan successfully got Lamie’s bond reduced from $2 million to $1 million so she could post $100,000 and be released from the Livingston County Jail. Pacey lowered that amount by $10,000 last month so Coghlan would have the money needed to get a forensic pathologist to testify. Coghlan told Pacey Thurs-day two of the three forensic pathologists he has contacted are not available and he still was talking to the third. Meanwhile, Coghlan said he did get a Blue Ray disc from the state’s attorney’s office, but it did not have the information he was seeking. Livingston County State’s Attorney Seth Uphoff thought the disc was a copy of the hard drive from Lamie’s computer that was seized in May 2011, but Coghlan said it actually was a copy of security camera footage. Uphoff said he contacted the FBI office in Chicago prior to Thursday’s hearing, but the person who made the disc and looked at all evidence in the case was not available. “Weeks go by and we are still no closer to trial,” said Pacey. “The court is not too pleased with the progress of this case.” Pacey noted Coghlan and Uphoff previously said they would be by Oct. 21 trial and he moved his Ford County cases to accommodate that date. “Since I reduced bond … suddenly we are backtrack-ing,” said the judge, adding in reference to the Jan. 6 date, “The case will start on that day.”
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:45:51 +0000
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