McKnight trial still months away

Due to a indefinite continuance filed by Gregory's McKnight's attorneys, it will be at least several months before he is brought to trail on murder charges for the death of Kenyon student Emily Murray and Chillicothe resident Gregory Julious. According to Johnna Rose, a legal assistant for the Vinton County prosecutor's office, it could take a year or more before McKnight's murder trial begins.

The Columbus Dispatch reported last week that State crime-scene investigators used a metal detector and shovels while slogging through the muck of a drained pond near the trailer where the bodies of Murray and Julious were found in December. Investigators were seeking evidence that might be connected to the slayings. Agents of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation assisted Vinton County officials, who said the daylong search did not turn up anything.

During the summer months, Rose says it's difficult to tell if any new developments will transpire. "We don't expect drastic news to surface, but there's no way to tell what McKnight's attorneys will bring forward," she says. "We might expect to see issues surface in regard to a change of venue for the trial or issues of mental competency." In an effort to keep the Kenyon community informed as accurately as possible during the summer break, the College's web site will continue to contain links to pertinent news stories under the homepage heading of "current news."

Rose says she encourages people who have any information regarding the case to contact the Knox County Sheriff's Department.

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