OAKFIELD, Maine — The trial of a Houlton man accused of killing an Oakfield couple has been rescheduled to start with jury selection on Dec. 2.
The trial will be held in Washington County Superior Court in Machias, a court clerk confirmed Tuesday.
Matthew Davis, 35, is accused of killing Michael Kitchen, 51, and Heidi Pratt, 49, on Monday, Sept. 23, 2013.The trial originally was to be heard in Houlton Superior Court last month, but a jury could not seated.
After more than 100 potential jurors from across Aroostook County were surveyed on Sept. 1, Justice E. Allen Hunter determined there would not be a sufficient number remaining from which to pick a jury and he granted a change of venue.
Jury selection has now been rescheduled for Dec. 2, with the trial date set for Dec. 6, according to a docket list issued by the state Attorney General’s Office.
Davis’ attorneys, Daniel Lilley and Amber Tucker, previously had sought to move the trial out of Aroostook County, arguing that extensive pretrial publicity about the case would make it difficult to find an impartial jury of 12 with two alternates in a region with a total population of fewer than 70,000.
Hunter denied that motion on Aug. 11 but said a change of trial location could be “revisited” if there was trouble finding a jury to seat.
