Brandon Thomas Woody

At a pretrial conference held on June 8, Brandon Woody requested the Kosciusko County Court schedule a hearing on the verified motion for a change of venue, which was filed on March 26.

Woody faces murder charges for the shooting deaths of Tara Thornburg and Joshua Knisley.

Rather than hold a hearing, Woody and his attorney, Scott Lennox, will present a brief to Judge Michael Reed which would explain why Woody believes he would not get a fair trial in Kosciusko County. A hearing will be scheduled after submission of the brief, if appropriate. The brief must be submitted by July 16, according to court documents.

Though it may change depending on the outcome of the change of venue brief, Woody’s pre-trial is set for Aug. 3, with the trial expected to begin on Aug. 17. The court also scheduled further pretrial conference for 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. Woody was ordered to personally appear at the Aug. 8 conference.

Kyle DeHart and Thomas Hursey also face charges for the murders. Two other individuals face lesser charges in connection with the murders. Different court dates are scheduled for these individuals.