The trial for the Delaware man accused of murdering his parents in September has been rescheduled to February.
Mohamed Lamin Kandeh, 25, was scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday after he pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder, unclassified felonies, and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony at his arraignment in September.
However, on Nov. 15, Kandeh’s attorney, David Johnson, filed a motion for a continuance and asked that the trial be delayed because he was informed by prosecutors that additional discovery in the case was forthcoming. Johnson said he anticipates the discovery process will be complete in “the near future.”
Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David M. Gormley granted the motion on Nov. 21 and rescheduled the trial for Feb. 13, 2024. The trial is estimated to take five days, according to prosecutors.
Kandeh was still in the Delaware County Jail Monday after Gormley ruled earlier this year that he be held without bond.
The charges come after the Delaware Police Department responded to a residence at 245 Bristol Drive on Sept. 3 after two residents of the home failed to meet a family member. At the home, police found Kandeh’s parents, Mohamed Alusine Kandeh, 61, and Bintu Kandeh, 60, dead inside the home with apparent gunshot wounds. Kandeh was arrested the following day by police with the assistance of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol. The indictment lists the initials of the murder victims as M.A.K. and B.K. According to the indictment, Kandeh also tampered with evidence to prevent it from being used against him or impaired its value or availability.
At Kandeh’s arraignment, Gormley told Kandeh that he faces up to life in prison for each of the murder charges and up to 36 months in prison for the tampering with evidence charge. He added that the murder charges carry firearm specifications, which add a mandatory three years to any sentence that Kandeh could receive if convicted.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
