Attorneys aim for change of venue in Holly Bobo case
DECATUR COUNTY, Tenn. — The three men charged in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo appeared Wednesday morning in Decatur County Circuit Court. Judge Creed McGinley set January hearing dates for each of them, and all three of the defendant’s attorneys said they plan to motion for a change of venue out of concerns for finding an impartial jury. McGinley said he would be inclined to grant the requests. “I think it would be humanly impossible to find a fair jury in Decatur County,” McGinley said. Zach Adams was first to appear before McGinley who presided over the hearings Wednesday for Jason Autry and brothers Zach and Dylan Adams. Zach Adams’ attorney, Jennifer Lynn Thompson, said she is still waiting on evidence from prosecutors. “I have no physical evidence linking my client to the kidnapping and killing of Holly Bobo,” Thompson said. Zach Adams and Jason Autry both are charged with felony first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. Dylan Adams faces two counts of rape. Thompson said she plans to file a motion for a change of venue. Adams will appear Jan. 21 for a status hearing and to set a trial date. McGinley said he has seen no progress in this case since the first indictment in March and that he has run out of patience. “I feel like it’s only fair to tell the parties I’ve run out of patience. I think you can sense it, but I’ve run out of patience and this case is going to move,” McGinley said. He told Adams’ attorney a bill of particulars must be filed within seven days. Thompson said she has not received evidence yet so has not filed a bill of particulars. District Attorney Matt Stowe said he is waiting for lab results for evidence found at the scene where Bobo’s remains were found. He also said he wants Zach Adams to be the first to go to trial. Thompson also said she has not seen any physical evidence linking Adams to the murder and disappearance of Bobo. She added she was never formally notified the skull found was Bobo’s but only heard about it through the media. “We will get every bit of evidence to which is entitled to them as quickly as possible and certainly within 30 days so this matter can be moved expeditiously,” DA Matt Stowe said. Jason Autry was the second to stand before the judge. Autry’s attorney, Fletcher Long, said he also plans to file a motion for a change of venue. Autry is scheduled to appear back in court Jan 14. After court, Long spoke about the slow pace of discovery in this case. “I do share the same frustration that we can’t seem to get this case to a posture where we can make demands to have the indictment dismissed or tried,” Long said. Dylan Adams was the third and final defendant to appear at the hearing, represented by his court-appointed attorney, Matt Maddox. Maddox also said he would motion for a change of venue. Adams also is scheduled to appear back in court Jan. 14. Holly Bobo disappeared April 13, 2011, from her family’s home in Parsons. The 20-year-old nursing student was last seen being led away from the home by an unidentified man. On Sept. 9, 2014, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified human remains found Sept. 7 in a wooded area in Decatur County as those of Bobo.
