Case delayed for first suspect charged in 1980 cold case
Court proceedings for Douglas Laming's trial have been delayed to April so his codefendant's case can "catch up."
St. Clair County Assistant Chief Public Defender Frederick Lepley requested the delay during a pretrial hearing Tuesday, saying he would like to see the result of a preliminary exam for Anthony Harris, Laming's codefendant, before proceeding.
Harris and Laming are both charged with open murder for the death of Karen Umphrey in 1980.
Both Lepley and St. Clair County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Goodrich told Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Lane that if Harris, 63, is bound over to circuit court it would be better if the two cases proceeded together.
Umphrey was found dead in the State Game area on Nov. 2, 1980 with two gunshot wounds to her head. Her case went cold for more than 40 years until recent efforts by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office led to Laming's and Harris' arrests.
Laming, 70, was arrested in December after he was found to be a genetic match for a semen sample recovered from Umphrey's body. Laming told detectives he had consensual sex with Umphrey, and Lepley has argued the evidence only proves sexual contact, not rape or murder.
During Laming's own preliminary examination in January, it was revealed there were other sets of male DNA identified on Umphrey's body and that the sheriff's office was looking into a potential second suspect.
Harris was arrested on Feb. 6. Since his arrest, however, no explanation has been given as to how he was identified as a suspect or what his role was believed to have been in Umphrey's death.
Laming's next court appearance was set for April 1. Harris' preliminary examination is scheduled for March 6.
If convicted, Laming and Harris both face up to life in prison.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Laming case delayed for codefendant charged with open murder
