Ricky A. Riffe consults with his lawyer during a hearing today in Lewis County Superior Court.
Updated at 3:40 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – There was a “drop dead” date for the trial of accused double kidnapper, murderer Ricky A. Riffe to begin, however, testing of recently rediscovered evidence has prompted yet another postponement.
Riffe, 54, was charged last summer in the 1985 abduction and shooting of Ed and Wilhelmina Maurin, an elderly couple who lived in Ethel.
He was in Lewis County Superior Court today when attorneys, and the judge, agreed to delay the trial from May until this coming October.
Defense attorney John Crowley made the request and Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead said he had no objection.
Crowley said that about a week ago, the sheriff’s office discovered hair from the car and also a cigarette butt found in a trash can in the Maurin’s bathroom, and wanted to get the items tested for DNA.
The Maurins weren’t smokers, he said.
Judge Richard Brosey recalled he had previously set a firm deadline, noting some of the victims’ family are concerned they’re not getting any younger. But he agreed to the change in dates.
“If there’s any other evidence that needs to be tested, find it and get it done,” Brosey told prosecutors.
His client is happy to wait for the results, according to Crowley.
“He said, ‘my DNA is not on that cigarette, get it tested’,” Crowley said.
The former Lewis County resident is charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree robbery, as well as one count of burglary. He has been held at the Lewis County Jail since his arrest in July at his home in Alaska.
A pre-trial hearing previously scheduled for the last two days of this week was reset for the morning of Sept. 6.
Essentially an after thought, attorneys also asked to postpone the trial date setting in a new case recently filed against Riffe. He was charged earlier this year with two instances of allegedly raping and fondling a young relative almost 30 years ago. Not guilty pleas have been entered in that case.
The murder trial is now scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 7 and last three to four weeks. Prosecutors now say they have subpoenaed 200 witnesses
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For background, read “Maurin homicide: Riffe pleads not guilty, his attorney hints at proof” from Thursday August 23, 2012, here
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