James Phelps' trial moved to Jasper County in case of Cassidy Rainwater death

Attorneys for James Phelps and the Dallas County Prosecutor agreed Friday to move Phelps' trial to Jasper County after he made a change of venue request earlier in the year.

Phelps, 60, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse in the case of 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. Phelps' co-defendant, Timothy Norton, faces the same charges.

Phelps and Norton were arrested back in September of 2021 after authorities say they obtained photos of Rainwater in a cage on Phelps’ property. Those photos, as well as photos of Rainwater strung up on a gantry crane being dismembered and eviscerated, were sent in an anonymous tip to the FBI, according to court documents.

When investigators searched Phelps’ property, court documents say they found Rainwater’s remains in a deep freezer in packages labeled 7-24, the last day Rainwater is believed to be alive. Phelps’ home was later burned to the ground after his arrest. Investigators determined it to be arson.

All pre-trial hearings in Phelps' case will still be held in Dallas County, and even at the trial in Jasper County, Dallas County Judge Jill Porter will preside.

Because prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty, Phelps is represented by the capital division of Missouri's Public Defender office. Because of both the complexity of death penalty cases and full case loads for a small staff, they tend to be more drawn out.

Porter anticipated Phelps' trial would occur in the summer of 2025, which would be four years after Rainwater's death.

Phelps is scheduled to be back in court May 19, while Norton is scheduled to be back in court May 2.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Phelps' trial moved to Jasper County in case of Rainwater death