Deschutes County, Ore. – The capital murder trial against Edwin Lara for the murder of Kaylee Sawyer will remain in Deschutes County.
The Bulletin reports Deschutes County Circuit Judge A. Michael Adler ruled swiftly on the Lara defense team’s motion to change the venue, saying he did not feel the trial would have to be moved in order to find an impartial jury pool. The ruling came during a Thursday motion hearing that stretched throughout the day.
Adler ruled against a motion to allow Lara to be unshackled during court proceedings, which was argued the day before, and ended by declining to immediately rule on a motion to postpone the Oct. 10 trial date.
The 31-year-old Lara, a former Central Oregon Community College security officer, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder for allegedly kidnapping, attempting to sexually assault and murdering Sawyer, 23, on July 24 in Bend.
Lara will remain shackled during court proceedings, but he will be allowed to have one hand uncuffed so he can write notes to his attorneys, Benjamin Kim, of Oregon City, Steve Lindsey, of Portland, and Thaddeus Betz, of Bend.
The bulk of Thursday’s hearing focused on whether the trial could remain in Deschutes County, or if any objectivity among Central Oregonians has been poisoned by extensive media coverage, as the defense has repeatedly argued.
The prosecution’s two expert witnesses — opinion researcher Adam Davis and Paul Vogel, a strategic communications consultant — attacked the notion that media coverage of the murder has been extraordinary, as often cited by the defense.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Adler declined to take additional time to think the matter over and made his ruling.
