Trial for suspect in kidnapping and killing pushed back to 2022
The trial of Michael Horvath, the Monroe County man accused of kidnapping and killing Lower Macungie Township resident Holly Grim, has been pushed back to January 2022, more than eight years after the 41-year-old mother of one vanished.
Monroe County Judge Margherita Patti-Worthington said the delay is necessary due to COVID-19 precautions, which have suspended jury trials and created a backlog of court cases. Horvath’s trial is projected to last a month or more, including jury selection.
Janet Jackson, one of Horvath’s defense attorneys, also said during a pretrial conference Monday that her team’s work has been stalled by the pandemic, since experts who need to interview Horvath in prison cannot schedule visits with him due to quarantine rules.
The holdup is another blow to Grim’s relatives, who have been waiting patiently for justice.
“This delay is quite difficult on the family,” said Allentown attorney Steven A. Bergstein, who represents Grim’s son, Zachary, in a wrongful death lawsuit against Horvath. “They would appreciate some closure.”
Horvath, 54, did not speak during the hearing Monday, which heattended via video from the Monroe County jail, where he’s being held without bail on
homicide and related charges.
Police say that on Nov. 22, 2013, Horvath kidnapped Grim from her trailer in the Red Maples Mobile HomePark, then took her to his Ross Township home, where he killed her and disposed of her body. He was arrested in October 2016.
Police say they found evidence that Horvath was stalking Grim, his co-worker at Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, and that he had books and videos on “hunting humans” in his home. Her skeletal remains were discovered in a 4-by-4foot area at the rear of Horvath’s property, covered by about a foot of dirt, police said.
Detectives say Horvath kept detailed notes in which he described his plans to stalk and abduct women.
“These writings, in part, suggest that Horvath was planning to bring a woman to his residence and keep her in his trailer on his property for a period of time and have sexual relations with her,” detectives wrote in one report.
Although Grim was allegedly abducted in Lehigh County, the charges against Horvath were consolidated and will all be heard in Monroe County.
Horvath is charged with homicide, kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and obstruction of the administration of law. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Horvath denies the charges. In September 2019, he turned down a plea deal that was contingent on himrevealing the whereabouts of “the other half” of Grim’s body.
Patti-Worthington noted on Monday that every jury trial in Monroe County is now on hold due to the coronavirus, not just Horvath’s case.
“Right nowwe’re in a little bit of a crunch with COVID,” she said. “Hopefully come spring that will get better and some of the restrictions will ease and it will be safer for everyone.”