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Trial has been pushed back to June in the case against four suspects charged in connection with alleged child abuse at the First United Methodist daycare.
Trial had been set to take place February 14 former daycare director Abby Leach, former pastor Paige Williams and former daycare employees Allison Simpson and Nina Morgan, but it was delayed in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday. That’s due to a motion to withdraw by defense attorney Ben Fletcher being granted, because of health issues—Fletcher recommended the cases be mediated in the meantime, to see if a resolution can be reached.
Special prosecutor Blake Chambers expressed his and the victims’ families frustration with the delay, saying it will cause a problem with arrangements that have already been made.
Ultimately, Judge John Atkins did grant Fletcher’s motion to withdraw and set a new trial date of June 13, telling Fletcher to be sure that whoever he gets to take on the case is ready to go at that time, because it will not be rescheduled again.
An indictment alleges Williams and Leach “breached their legal duty to protect the minor children by failing to prevent former day care workers Allison Simpson and Nina Morgan from intentionally abusing children.” In each of the eight counts for complicity to child abuse, the victim is described as being under the age of 13 months old.
Simpson is charged with over 30 counts of criminal child abuse—Morgan is indicted for two counts of criminal child abuse and all of the alleged incidents happened in late 2018 and early 2019.