Damion Bryant
Damion Bryant
COLUMBUS, Ind. — A change of plea hearing in Bartholomew Circuit Court for a local man accused of murder in the shooting death of his stepfather was continued after prosecutors requested a delay.
Damion Bryant, 20, is accused of killing his 49-year-old stepfather, Wayne E. McGeorge Jr., last Thanksgiving, according to court records.
During a scheduled change of plea hearing Monday, chief deputy prosecutor Kimberly Sexton-Yeager requested additional time. She told Judge Kelly Benjamin the state is still interviewing witnesses and examining evidence.
But Bryant’s court-appointed public defender, Chris Monroe, objected to the delay.
Monroe told the court he has not yet received an autopsy report on the victim. Sexton-Yeager said those documents had just arrived at her office late last week, and that she would provide them to Monroe later that day.
The defense also said they have not received required lists of exhibits or witnesses from the prosecution as well, Monroe said.
The judge has scheduled a pre-trial conference for Monday, April 3 at 1:30 p.m. During the conference, the judge and attorneys are expected to evaluate what is necessary to move the case to trial, as well as establish dates for certain tasks to be completed.
Bryant’s trial remains tentatively set for April 11 at 8:30 a.m.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
