No trial set for murder suspect due to attorney change

Attorneys decided to wait to set a trial date in a Fourmile Canyon murder case due to the defendant needing a new attorney.

Stephen Christopher Wolf, 29, is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, felony murder, first-degree burglary, seconddegree burglary, tampering with a deceased human body, vehicular eluding and tampering with physical evidence in the death of Jeffrey Michael Lynch, 57.

Boulder District Judge Patrick Butler ruled last week that Wolf was competent enough to stand trial, and Wolf appeared in custody for a status hearing Wednesday.

But according to officials one of Wolf’s court appointed defense attorneys, Beth Kelley, was recently appointed to be a magistrate with the 20th Judicial District, leading her to withdraw from the case.

Wolf briefly considered firing both Kelley and his other courtappointed attorney, Mary Claire Mulligan, but decided to keep Mulligan on as counsel.

But Mulligan noted the court would have to appoint her another defense attorney to help with the case, and she asked that the court wait to set a trial date until that appointment was made.

Prosecutors did not object to the request, and Wolf was set for a status conference on Feb. 22 to hopefully set a trial date at that time.

Wolf also extended the deadline on his speedy trial rights to allow for a later trial date that would allow the new defense attorney to get caught up on the case.

Wolf remains in custody without bond.

According to an arrest affidavit, Lynch was reported missing July 30, 2019, after he failed to show up at his girlfriend’s house on the previous Sunday.

Lynch was a general contractor and had been working on a vacant house on Camino Bosque in Fourmile Canyon, so the property owners went to see if Lynch was there. The owners arrived and found Wolf, who they did not know, sitting in Lynch’s car in the garage.

The property owner confronted Wolf, who said he was there to clean before saying the police were after him. The homeowner said she had not hired anyone to work on the house other than Lynch, and she called the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies arrived, they found Wolf carrying shovels in a trash bag, according to the affidavit. Wolf saw the deputies and ran into the garage, but the two deputies handcuffed him.