Associated Press and staff report
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Attorneys for the man accused of killing four Bucyrus men in their homes this past Labor Day weekend have asked that his trial be delayed. Robert and Rolf Whitney have filed a motion in Crawford County Common Pleas Court saying they need more time to prepare because of the nature of the case and seriousness of the charges.
Hoffman’s trial is currently scheduled to begin Nov. 17 and is expected to last five days. On Oct. 6 Judge Russell Wiseman indicated a delay was likely due to getting the results of pending psychological tests and evaluating those results.
Hoffman has pleaded not guilty to all 21 counts in an indictment charging him in the deaths of Billy Jack Chatman, Freelin Hensley, Darrell Lewis and Jerald Smith. The coroner’s report indicated the four men were beaten, strangled, or both.
Eight of the counts in the indictment are capital murder charges. If convicted, Hoffman could be sentenced to death.