Houser's Trial Delayed Until April

An expected delay in the trial of Zebediah Houser.

The 25-year-old Houser is charged with concealment of a homicidal death.  He's charged with aiding Christine Burr and Kristy Mathis in disposing of the body of Joseph Delaney in a rural part of Jasper County.  Prosecutors allege the body was disposed of after Delaney was stabbed to death by Burr sometime after July 1, 2011.

Local attorney Lance Freezeland was assigned Houser's case just last week, and Houser was due to go on trial next Monday.  Freezeland said he needs time to review the prosecution's information with Houser before he'd be ready to take the case to trial, and asked for the matter to be re-scheduled to the April trial calendar.

Judge Marc Kelly scheduled the trial for Monday, April 14.  A pre-trial hearing was scheduled for April 1 at 10am to consider any pending motions in the case.  Burr and Mathis' trials are also scheduled to begin April 14.

Houser is being held in Effingham County Jail under $200,000 bond.