Attorney requests change of venue for murder trial against Randy Taylor
The attorney for the man accused of abduction and murder in the disappearance of Nelson County teenager Alexis Murphy seeks to have the spring jury trial held outside of Nelson County.
Randy Allen Taylor, 48, is charged with first-degree murder, murder during commission of abduction and abduction with intent to defile related to the disappearance and suspected death of Murphy, 17, who last was seen Aug. 3. He was arrested less than two weeks after her disappearance and initially faced one count of abduction. He was indicted on the upgraded charges earlier this month.
He is set for a jury trial in Nelson County Circuit Court on May 1. Michael Hallahan, Taylor's attorney, filed a motion last week seeking the venue change out of concern about the heightened publicity the case has generated, which he argues could hinder a fair and impartial trial.
"The media coverage on this case has been relentless from August 2013 to present, including local, state and national news agencies," the motion reads. "The defense would venture a guess that there has not been a single newspaper, radio station, or television station that hasn't covered this case."
Though Nelson County Commonwealth's Attorney Anthony Martin announced the new charges against Taylor earlier this month, he and authorities have not addressed her whereabouts or the evidence that led to the murder indictment due to a gag order.
The order, granted in December by Nelson Circuit Court Judge J. Michael Gamble, was enacted to help ensure a fair jury trial for Taylor in Nelson County, Gamble said during the December hearing.
Search warrants and affidavits have been sealed and a bond hearing for Taylor was closed to the public to keep details "under wraps" in attempts to ensure a fair trial, Martin has said in court. Earlier this month, he said in a statement that "probable cause" was found to indict Taylor on the murder charge.
Martin and Hallahan have said they are not speaking with the media about the case, citing Gamble's order. Murphy's family through a representative, Alexis' great-aunt Trina Murphy, said they also will not commenting on specifics in the interests of keeping the trial in Nelson County.
"Of course my family is devastated," Trina Murphy said Jan. 6. "But we're going to stand in our faith in God and push through the next five months and have our day in court."
Hallahan's motion casts doubts that Taylor will get a fair trial in Nelson.
"The named victim's face is displayed on a poster in almost every public place in Nelson County," the motion reads. "The defendant has been named in every news story as the suspect. Nelson County is a small, rural community and news of the suspect most likely isn't lost on any of its residents."
The defense hopes the case will be transferred to another jurisdiction, or at least, a jury pool will be selected from elsewhere so Taylor would have "a better chance at receiving a fair trial," the motion reads.
The Charlottesville attorney was quoted in a newspaper article in August 2013 saying his client is innocent. He said Murphy and another man were in Taylor's trailer in Lovingston near the time of her disappearance but they left and Taylor never saw them again. Hallahan said at Taylor's October arraignment that his client intended to plead not guilty to the initial abduction charge.
Martin said during the October arraignment he plans to call about 50 witnesses to the stand.
Hallahan also filed a motion last week seeking to have the court prohibit witnesses from mentioning Taylor's status in the 2010 disappearance of Orange County teenager Samantha Ann Clarke. Taylor was questioned by Orange County prosecutors as a person of interest, according to news reports.
The motion argues his status as a suspect in the Orange County case should not be broached at trial.
"This evidence is not admissible and would be extremely prejudicial against the defendant," the motion reads. "This fact was used in numerous search warrants in connection with the case."
Hallahan filed another motion last week requesting Taylor be allowed to dress in professional attire and not jail-issued clothing during the trial.
A pre-trial motions hearing is set for 2 p.m. Feb. 7 in Nelson County Circuit Court.
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