Wayne County Circuit Judge Michael Molt has taken under advisement two motions filed by the attorney representing first degree murder suspect Brodey I. Murbarger. Murbarger is awaiting trial on multiple charges related to the disappearance and murder of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. On Tuesday, Murbarger’s attorney, Christian Baril argued a motion to move his client’s trial out of Wayne County because of too much pretrial publicity. He also filed a motion to sever charges in the case. Murbarger faces multiple charges related to the alleged murder as well as a number of criminal sexual abuse and home invasion charges. Murbarger’s attorney wants a jury to decide those charges separately.
The motion to sever charges will be argued during a hearing set for August 25. In support of his motion for a change of venue, Murbarger’s attorney submitted five separate exhibits to the court for its consideration. Judge Molt wrote that in the event he denies the defense motion, Murbarger’s lawyer will be able to renew the motion during jury selection. Previously, a Wayne County Grand Jury indicted Murbarger on six counts, including three counts of first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death and two counts of home invasion to commit the offense of criminal sexual abuse. While an official cause of death has not been made public, the first-degree murder indictment alleges that Murbarger “intentionally or knowingly caused Megan Nichols to be suffocated”. A second indictment alleges Megan was strangled. Murbarger’s jury trial has been set for September 19 in Wayne County Circuit Court in Fairfield.
