HENRY COUNTY, Ill. — The trial for the man accused of killing a Knox County Sheriff's deputy has been continued until January 2024.
Daylon Richardson, 24, stands accused of hitting Deputy Nicholas "Nick" Weist as he set up spike strips in an attempt to stop Richardson's vehicle as it fled from a traffic stop in Galesburg on April 29, 2022.
The incident occurred near the intersection of U.S. Highway 150 and 150th Avenue in Henry County.
Richardson initially pleaded not guilty to charges of murder with intent to kill or injure, murder with a strong probability to kill or injure, felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated fleeing resulting in bodily injury and improper traffic lane usage.
During a pre-trial conference on Oct. 13, the case remained set for a jury trial beginning Monday, Oct. 23, and was scheduled to last 10 days.
However, motions were filed between that conference and the scheduled start. A jury pool of 150 potential jurors had been summoned, but dismissed by Judge Norma Kauzlarich in order to have time to address the motions.
In the same hearing, Richardson entered an open plea and pled guilty to the three charges that were not murder charges: felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated fleeing and the traffic infraction. The court found him guilty of those charges.
Another hearing for the pending motions has been set for Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. A jury trial has been planned to start Jan. 8, 2024. The state also withdrew its objection to the motion to change venue.