New trial date set for man accused of killing missing Wilmington woman
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A new trial date is set for a man accused of killing a Wilmington woman who went missing in 2014.
James Bradley is charged with the death of Shannon Rippy Van Newkirk. Van Newkirk was last seen April 5, 2014, a day before her 54th birthday.
Bradley was set to go to trial for her murder today.
District Attorney Ben David told the judge they want to send more evidence to the crime lab. David said the evidence is related to a 404 (b) hearing they held in July.
In July, a judge decided prosecutors will be able to tell the jury in this case about Bradley’s past crimes. He served 25 years in prison for the 1988 murder of his stepdaughter Ivy Gipson. Police also found the body of another missing woman in the hunt for Van Newkirk. Prosecutors also plan to tell the jury how Bradley penned two short stories about serial killers who targeted women.
David said the state wants to send blood from a vehicle to the state crime lab and a bone investigators found while searching. David said they are not human findings and neither are related to Van Newkirk, but they may be related to the other crimes Bradley committed.
The defense said it could take months for the crime lab results to come back. There was some debate on how much longer they should push the trial back to wait on these results.
David also asked the judge for a change of venue to move the the trial to Pender County. A judge decided the jury will be selected from Pender County, but the trial will be held in New Hanover Co.
The defense said they want to give the jury a questionnaire. The defense also wants the race of each juror to be noted. The judge allowed these requests.
The new trial date is set for April 24, 2017.
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