Pretrial Hearing Set in Samantha Runnion Case
From Times Staff Reports
The long-delayed DNA-evidence pretrial hearing for the accused killer of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion will start Nov. 8, the first date for which the defense says it will be prepared, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday.
Prosecutors said the new hearing date, which will be followed by a hearing on the defense team’s change-of-venue motion, means that jury selection for Alejandro Avila’s case will likely start in January.
Samantha was abducted in 2002 while playing outside her family’s home in Stanton.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.