Trial begins Tuesday for man accused of 2004 Pocatello murder
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POCATELLO — A murder trial 20 years in the making begins Tuesday.
The trial will begin with the selection of 14 jurors — two of them alternates. That jury will then be presented with evidence and witness testimony from a crime that possibly occurred before some of the prospective jurors were old enough to understand what murder is.
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Nori Jones was killed in her home on Pole Line Road the night of Sept. 28, 2004. She was found the following morning, having suffered numerous knife wounds, by two of her co-workers.
The case went cold for nearly a decade before advancements in technology allowed for DNA found at the scene to be analyzed. That DNA linked Brad Compher, now 48, to the crime and he was arrested in 2014.
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The trial was delayed for numerous reasons — including questions regarding Compher’s intellectual ability to stand trial. Another delay was narrowly avoided last month after Compher questioned the work of his defense attorneys.
Here are answers to some of the questions EastIdahoNews.com has received regarding the trial.
- Death penalty:A court decision made in 2022 removed a potential death sentence from consideration in the case, due to Compher’s mental limitations. The maximum penalty, should he be found guilty, would be a sentence of life in prison.
- Jury pool?The Bannock County Jury Coordinators Office sent out more than 200 juror questionnaires in preparation for this trial. Following a series of for-cause eliminations, that pool has been trimmed down to around 180.
- Where will the trial be held: Though District Judge Javier Gabiola will be responsible for the proceedings, the trial will be held inside District Judge Rick Carnaroli’s courtroom. The Bannock County Courthouse moved the proceedings, in expectation for high public interest, to the largest courtroom in Bannock County.
- How long will the trial take:Expectations in the months leading up to the trial is that it will take around two weeks.
- Surprising testimony: Defense attorney J. Scott Andrew has requested the transport and hold of Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper for the trial. Adamcik and Draper were convicted in the 2006 murder of Pocatello High School classmate Cassie Jo Stoddart. They are both serving life sentences. During a discussion regarding Adamcik and Draper, Andrew confirmed with Gabiola that his defense intends to introduce potential suspect other than Compher.
- Reo Wilde:Wilde, who was engaged to marry Jones at the time of her death, is expected to testify. He was investigated thoroughly as a suspect in the weeks following Jones’ death but was cleared. Jones spent much of her time leading to her death at Wilde’s home, but went to her own home the night of her murder because she was not feeling well.
EastIdahoNews.com will be in court throughout the trial posting live updates. Follow reporter Kalama Hines — here for the latest.