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FARMINGTON — State prosecutors have new evidence in the case against Nathan and Stephanie Sloop, the Layton couple accused of brutally killing their 4-year-old son.
But "other than we like and we want to use it," Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings would not reveal his recent findings. "It's new evidence that's been developed scientifically or forensically," he said.
That was among the reasons a 2nd District judge Tuesday postponed preliminary hearings for the couple at the request of their attorneys. The Sloops are being tried separately on capital murder charges in connection with the May 2010 death of Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop's son and Nathan Sloop's stepson.
Nathan Sloop's preliminary hearing scheduled to start next Monday was pushed back to March 19, 2012. Stephanie Sloop's Nov. 15 date will be rescheduled for a time after Nathan's Sloop's hearing. In those hearings, a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to bind the Sloops over for trial.
In separate hearings Tuesday, Judge Glen R. Dawson told the Sloops they were entitled to speedy preliminary hearings. Both said they were fine with the delays.
We have spent considerable time going through the evidence.
–Richard Mauro
Mary Corporan, Stephanie Sloop's attorney, would not discuss the state's new evidence outside the courtroom. But she told the judge in court that advances in technology made it possible to capture information from cell phones.
"I need to see that material before the preliminary hearing," she said.
Rawlings acknowledged the new evidence was derived from existing evidence but would not describe it.
To date, Davis County prosecutors have turned over to defense attorneys 16,482 pages of documents and 412 compact discs containing interviews, photos and other items.
"We have spent considerable time going through the evidence," said Richard Mauro, Nathan Sloop's attorney. But with the state's new evidence and the loss of his forensics expert due to a family illness, Mauro said he needs more time to prepare.
Rawlings did not object to the delays, but said prosecutors are ready for both preliminary hearings with 500 pieces of evidence to present. "We want the case to move forward, but we also don't want mistakes made," he said.
Related:
Influential stories of 2010: The murder of Ethan Stacy
It started as a call for a missing child. Ethan Stacy's mother and stepfather told police he had wandered away in the middle of the night.Two self-appointed advocates for Ethan Stacy who attended Tuesday's hearing say they're frustrated with the slow process, but won't let it deter them following the case to the end.
"We know the family can't be here. Ethan touched our lives," said Anissa Martinez. "We feel like we are his voice."
"If it takes three years, we'll be here," Lucinda Martin said, who along with Martinez organized "Ethan's Army" to speak out against child abuse.
Ethan was beaten to death not long after he arrived in Utah from Virginia to spend the summer with his biological mother and her fiancée. His body was disfigured and buried in a remote area of Powder Mountain. Authorities say he was left alone, locked in an apartment bedroom, while his mother went to get married because the couple feared people would call police if they saw Ethan's injuries.
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