Suspect in the disappearance and death of Augusta teen is back in court

More than four years after an Augusta teen's disappearance spurred months of community-wide searches, the man investigators contend is responsible for her disappearance and death is still no closer to a trial.

Friday in Richmond County Superior Court, Leon Tripp, 42, was back in a courtroom where he faces a possible death penalty trial in the slaying of LaTania "Janell" Carwell whose mother reported her missing the morning of her 16th birthday, April 17, 2017.

Tripp had married Tanya Tripp, 38, in 2015 and moved in with her and her daughters. 

Tanya Tripp told investigators that her husband woke her the night before the girl's disappearance to say he was going to help a friend who was having car trouble and was taking Janell with him. In the weeks that followed, Tanya Tripp said she hadn't heard from either again, but on May 23, 2017, she and Leon Tripp were arrested together at a DeKalb County U-Haul facility.

The teen's remains were found in a grave dug in the backyard of a home on Golden Camp Road on March 8, 2018.

More:Remains identified as missing teen LaTania Janell Carwell

Motion:Mother and stepfather sought killer before Augusta teen's death

Leon Tripp is charged with murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another. The prosecution filed notice of the intention to seek a death sentence if he is convicted of murder. His wife is facing a separate prosecution for murder in the second degree, concealing a death of another and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On Friday, Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig, who inherited the case from a judge who retired in 2017, met Tripp's newly assigned attorneys, the third set of attorneys assigned to his case since his indictment in March 2018.

Previously:Local activist to hold community-wide fast for missing teen

New lead attorney Adam Levin  of the

More than four years after an Augusta teen's disappearance spurred months of community-wide searches, the man investigators contend is responsible for her disappearance and death is still no closer to a trial.

Friday in Richmond County Superior Court, Leon Tripp, 42, was back in a courtroom where he faces a possible death penalty trial in the slaying of LaTania "Janell" Carwell whose mother reported her missing the morning of her 16th birthday, April 17, 2017.

Tripp had married Tanya Tripp, 38, in 2015 and moved in with her and her daughters. 

Tanya Tripp told investigators that her husband woke her the night before the girl's disappearance to say he was going to help a friend who was having car trouble and was taking Janell with him. In the weeks that followed, Tanya Tripp said she hadn't heard from either again, but on May 23, 2017, she and Leon Tripp were arrested together at a DeKalb County U-Haul facility.

The teen's remains were found in a grave dug in the backyard of a home on Golden Camp Road on March 8, 2018.

Leon Tripp is charged with murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another. The prosecution filed notice of the intention to seek a death sentence if he is convicted of murder. His wife is facing a separate prosecution for murder in the second degree, concealing a death of another and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On Friday, Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig, who inherited the case from a judge who retired in 2017, met Tripp's newly assigned attorneys, the third set of attorneys assigned to his case since his indictment in March 2018.

New lead attorney Adam Levin

More than four years after an Augusta teen's disappearance spurred months of community-wide searches, the man investigators contend is responsible for her disappearance and death is still no closer to a trial.

Friday in Richmond County Superior Court, Leon Tripp, 42, was back in a courtroom where he faces a possible death penalty trial in the slaying of LaTania "Janell" Carwell whose mother reported her missing the morning of her 16th birthday, April 17, 2017.

Tripp had married Tanya Tripp, 38, in 2015 and moved in with her and her daughters. 

Tanya Tripp told investigators that her husband woke her the night before the girl's disappearance to say he was going to help a friend who was having car trouble and was taking Janell with him. In the weeks that followed, Tanya Tripp said she hadn't heard from either again, but on May 23, 2017, she and Leon Tripp were arrested together at a DeKalb County U-Haul facility.

The teen's remains were found in a grave dug in the backyard of a home on Golden Camp Road on March 8, 2018.

Leon Tripp is charged with murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another. The prosecution filed notice of the intention to seek a death sentence if he is convicted of murder. His wife is facing a separate prosecution for murder in the second degree, concealing a death of another and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig inherited the case from a judge who retired in 2017, and on Friday, he scheduled an entire day to hear dozens of pending motions in the case. But Tripp's newly assigned attorneys, the third set of attorneys assigned to his case since his indictment in March 2018, weren't ready.

New lead attorney Adam Levin of the Georgia Capital Defender Office in Athens, told, that he only just received Tripp's case file two days earlier. Levin promised the judge that delay would not be a defense tactic.

Craig set the next hearing date for Dec. 14 and told attorneys to be prepared to present all motions then. After he has ruled on the motions and given the attorneys time to raise any subsequent issues, Craig said he will set a trial date.

Tanya Tripp's case is separate from her husband's. Both are awaiting trial in jail.