WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The murder trial for a Fayetteville man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and subsequently disposing of her body has been delayed again.
Kacey Jennings, 31, is accused of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and theft after the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) investigated the disappearance of Allison Maria Castro and concluded that Jennings had allegedly killed her.
Jennings has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His trial was first set for Jan. 17, 2023, but has since been delayed multiple times.
Prosecutor Matt Durrett confirmed to 5NEWS that Jennings' trial on Aug. 26 has been delayed. A new date has not been set.
On Aug. 15, Jennings' legal counsel filed a motion to delay the trial, stating that they had "discovered potential mitigation evidence originating from California" that needed to be investigated further.
In the filing, his defense goes on to say that if their investigation reveals information, it could require that out-of-state witnesses be subpoenaed, which would cause the defense to have to arrange for transportation and testimony at trial.
Durrett previously confirmed to 5NEWS that Jennings was supposed to take a plea deal in April, but the suspect changed his mind the trial was set to go on.
FPD said that on Sept. 19, 2022, officers responded to a home where they reportedly found Jennings overdosing on drugs.
While investigating, officers reportedly heard concerns from family members about the welfare of Jennings' ex-girlfriend, Castro. FPD said that after not hearing from Castro, officers reported her missing the same day and started looking into "exactly what occurred."
Evidence led officers to believe that Jennings killed Castro and disposed of her body. A week later, Jennings was arrested.
According to court documents, the state has not waived the death penalty in this case.
If you have any information concerning this investigation, you're asked to contact the FPD at (479) 587-3555.
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