Snohomish County prosecutors have a deadline of November 30th to decide whether to seek the death penalty for a suspect in the 1987 murders of a young Victoria couple.
William Earl Talbott II is facing 2 counts of aggravated first-degree murder in the deaths of 18 year old Tanya Van Cuylenborg and her boyfriend 20 year old Jay Cook.
The Everett Herald reports Superior Court Judge Linda Krese approved the extension this (Thurs) afternoon at the request of both prosecutors and the defense.
A trial date that had previously been set for August has now been re-scheduled for March. It could take up to 7 weeks to hear all evidence.
Under Washington State law the death penalty and life without parole are the only sentences available if Talbott is convicted as charged.
The judge also denied a motion from the defense to reconsider bail or house arrest. He is being held without bail.
The 55 year old Talbott was arrested after new technological advances used DNA to produce age-progrewssion images of a suspect. At the time of his arrest he was living in the Seattle-Tacoma area and working as a trucker.
Talbott has pleaded not guilty to the charges.