Trial delayed for man accused of killing Union University student
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DOWNTOWN JACKSON — The former Union University student accused of killing his fiancee will have to wait several more months before going to trial. On Monday a judge delayed the trial more than four months because attorneys said they‘re still waiting on evidence reports from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Charles Pittman will remain behind bars for now. A judge pushed back his trial date Monday to Sept. 28. Pittman is accused of killing his fiancee, Olivia Greenlee, on campus in Feb. 2014. “We’re really not prepared to go to trial just like the state is not prepared to go trial,” District Public Defender George Morton Googe said. Googe represents Pittman. He said they are still waiting on several reports from the TBI. “We haven’t seen the large majority of the evidence,” he said. Assistant District Attorney General Jody Pickens would not comment on the case on camera, but told the judge he is still waiting on DNA analysis, firearms testing, computer forensics, and blood pattern analysis. “To answer the court’s question the DNA analysis is completed,” Pickens said. “The firearms is completed, but there are no reports generated. I would expect to receive probably something within the week.” Googe said it is not unusual to have delays in a case this serious with a lot of requested scientific reports, but said the TBI backlog is unusual. “I’ve heard and I don’t know if it’s totally the case that the Holly Bobo case and the attention the TBI has had to give that and the huge number of things they’ve analyzed has contributed to the backlog,” Googe said. The judge also extended Pittman‘s plea cut off date. He has until June 8 to reach a deal with the state and avoid trial. Googe said at this point they intend to continue with the not guilty plea and go to trial, which was originally scheduled to begin May 12.
