ROCK ISLAND, Illinois — The 18-year-old being charged in the death of 14-year-old Lyric Stewart appeared in court March 4th, 2021 at the Rock Island County Jail. Jimena Jinez is being charged with first degree murder.
The stabbing happened back on December 30th, 2020. Police responded to a call of a stabbing in the 1200 block of 11th street just after 8:00pm.
Stewarts father, Tony Stewart, spoke out on the case outside the courthouse. He says he won’t stop until he believes justice is served for his daughter’s death. Stewart saying, “I’m not going to rest until this is over with. I just want justice for my daughter.”
Friends and family gathered outside during the hearing to remind people passing by about the cases. Bright pink signs reading “Justice for Lyric” were held up for the afternoon.
Jinez’s lawyers asked for another pretrial hearing set for August 19th, 2021. After more evidence was introduced, they say they need more time to review it before entering a plea. Lawyers hope to set a trial date at that next hearing, aiming now for some time in the fall of 2021.
It means it will be 8 months before a trial is set. Tony Stewart says the lawyers prepared him for a drawn-out process, but days that involve hearings are especially difficult. “They told me to be prepared for it, it’s going to be a long drawn out process. Every day is a struggle but days like today is really hard. It’s like reliving it.”
Despite the break in court appearances for Jinez, Stewart says family and friends aren’t resting. “I’m very thankful for everybody that comes out.” They plan to continue to appear at court appearances and offer updates on the case on Facebook.