GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Jan. 24 trial for a man accused of stabbing another man 175 times was postponed Thursday due to concerns about COVID-19.
Andres Garcia-Saenz, 24, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly stabbing Douglas Campbell in March 2020.
The postponement comes just days of Judge Marc Hammer had agreed to call a double-pool of prospective jurors – 90 people instead of 45 – for the original trial date of Jan. 24.
In court Thursday, defense attorney Elisabeth Stockbridge noted the jail has concerns about the rising number of cases within the jail, and said she has concerns about witness availability.
Judge Hammer noted another Brown County judge was unable to hold a trial this week because he couldn’t get enough healthy jurors to fill a panel, and not all of the witnesses were available.
Assistant District Attorney Dana Johnson concurred with the concerns, pointing out a Dane County murder trial was halted mid-stream this week because the defendant contracted COVID-19.
As a result, the trial was postponed to March 14.
According to the criminal complaint, after a March 17, 2020 welfare check police found Campbell’s body and the Trager Street home appeared to have been ransacked.
The investigation led them to Garcia-Saenz. At his residence, they found Campbell’s clothing, credit cards, ID, shoes, and other items. He repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder, and offered varying explanations for his time at Campbell’s home and why he had Campbell’s possessions.
DNA test results show samples likely from both Garcia-Saenz and Campbell on the handle of a bloody hammer found at the scene.
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