A trial date was vacated in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning for murder suspect Rudolfo Amaya, as the defense intends to pursue a mental illness defense.
Public defender Douge Moore represents Amaya and filed several motions Wednesday morning, including a notice of intent to have a mental illness defense at trial and a motion to delay the trial from February 19 to give both sides ample to time to prepare.
That motion was granted, with Judge John Atkins setting a new trial date for May 20. The notice of mental illness defense comes after a mental evaluation was conducted.
Amaya is charged with murder in the first degree and first-degree wanton endangerment in the fatal shooting death of 43-year-old Dante Welch.
He is alleged to have shot and killed Welch on New Gritton Avenue in Oak Grove in March of this year—he allegedly shot Welch, who was inside of a parked vehicle, in front of a toddler who was also in the vehicle.