JUDGE SETS DATE FOR EMILY HACKER MURDER TRIAL

  

A Central Texas judge has set the trial date for four suspects charged with capital murder in the beating death of a woman whose body was found in Burleson County.

Judge John Youngblood announced the four suspects will be tried together on Sept. 11 in 20th District Court.

34-year old Emily Hacker’s body was discovered in a shallow grave nearly 10 days after she was reported missing.

23-year old Ashley Wesson-Zawadzke of Somerville, 36-year old John Wayne Stewart of Somerville, 29-year old Edward Brannon Barry of Caldwell and 29-year old Candice Nicole Jones of Killeen are charged with murder.  31-year old Kevin Cormier of Caldwell has been charged with tampering with physical evidence.

Milam County District Attorney Bill Torrey has said he does not anticipate seeking the death penalty for any of the defendants.

Authorities say the likely motive for the killing was revenge in that Candice Jones was angry with Hacker because she had told police Jones had a loaded handgun in her vehicle during a traffic stop.