MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — Accused killer Jeffrey Willis returned to a Muskegon County courtroom Friday for a hearing leading up to his first murder trial.
Willis is charged with murder in the 2014 shooting deathof Rebekah Bletsch, who was shot to death while jogging along a Dalton Towship road.
Friday, a visibly slimmer Willis returned to court as his defense attorney and the prosecution team argued over what evidence should be allowed during the murder trial, which is slated for Oct. 17.
They focused on a pair of underwear. A woman told police the underware was stolen from her home, along with her gun – the same weapon police say Willis used to kill Bletsch.
Prosecutors say the underwear is important because it contained both the woman’s DNA and Willis’ DNA.
“…(it) shows his connection, a deeper connection or identity to the weapon itself. It also allows us to argue this opportunity to take that weapon in advance of the abduction of Jessica Heeringa. More importantly for this case, in advance of the murder of Rebekah Bletsch,” said Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson.
But Willis’ defense attorney argued including the underwear as trial evidence was unfair to his client because it could prejudice the jury.
This was the first hearing in the case since a judge granted a defense motion to delay the trial against Willis in the Bletsch case on Aug. 4 The trial was originally scheduled to start in June. It was then pushed back to September and then to Oct. 16.
Willis’ new lead attorney, Muskegon County Public Defender Fred Johnson, filed a motion to remove Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson from the case. Johnson cited conflict of interest concerns in the hiring of Willis’ previous attorney, Brian Hosticka, by the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office. A judge denied that motion earlier this month.
Willis is also accused of kidnapping and murder in the 2013 disappearance of Jessica Heeringa, and accused of trying to kidnap a teenage girl last year. No trial dates have been set in those cases.