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Double murder trial delayed
Absence of key witness forces postponement
CookeWEB
Bryan Cooke enters the courtroom for his preliminary hearing in this file photo. His murder trial, set to begin Monday, was delayed until Oct. 30.
The trial of Bryan Cooke, the man accused of killing his in-laws, Gary and Gail Dodson, has been suspended after a key witness fell ill on the eve of her testimony.News of the medical problem spread through the courtroom Monday morning, shortly after a jury was selected for the first-degree murder trial. By afternoon it was learned the woman, who was having complications with pregnancy, would not be able to testify.“We’re going to inquire into her condition and see what we can do,” Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley told jurors when he dismissed them for the day on Monday.The inquiry revealed the witness would be under medical care for at least the next couple of weeks. However, given the fact a jury had already been selected when it was feared an impartial jury could not be found for the high-profile case, Judge Stanley opted to suspend the case until Oct. 30.