Morrow murder trial postponed again Morrow murder trial postponed again (January 25, 2006)

The trial of Joseph Morrow, who is suspected of killing his wife Donna at their Menlo Park home 14 years ago, was delayed again, this time by the prosecution.

Mr. Morrow's trial was to have started on Tuesday, January 17, in San Mateo County Superior Court, but prosecutor Steve Wagstaffe, the county's chief deputy district attorney, had to take an unexpected leave this week. The murder trial is now set to begin at 9 a.m. Monday, January 30.

The trial, originally set to start in April 2004, had been pushed back several times before by Mr. Morrow's defense attorney.

Mr. Morrow, who told police his 37-year-old wife walked out of the house on the evening of December 19, 1991, following an argument, is accused of killing her at their College Avenue home and burying her body on undeveloped property he owned in Los Gatos.

In 1993, before he could be charged with his wife's death, Mr. Morrow fled the country. He was discovered living under an assumed name in the Philippines 10 years later; he was arrested on passport fraud charges in January 2003 and extradited to the United States.

Ms. Morrow's skeletal remains were discovered in September 2003 in the spot where a handyman said he'd been instructed by Mr. Morrow to dig a deep hole shortly before Christmas in 1991.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.