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SALT LAKE CITY — A child abuse case that has dragged through the court system for seven years will extend into 2018 before it goes to trial.
Due to issues with expert witnesses, 3rd District Judge Randall Skanchy on Monday was forced to reschedule the trial of Kami Kay Tollefson, 45, to March 5. The trial was originally scheduled to begin next week.
Tollefson, a former day care operator in Murray, is charged with three counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony, for allegedly abusing three children in her care between the ages of 13 months and 18 months. Prosecutors say the children were hurt within a span of less than two years.
The first incident of abuse was reported in 2008. Charges were filed in 2010.
In June 2016, Tollefson was prepared to accept a plea deal that would have resulted in no jail time. But Skanchy rejected the agreement after the mothers of the three children voiced objections to the deal because of the injuries their children sustained, as well as frustration with the state.
Related:
After more than 6 years, 3 families yearn for justice in day care abuse case
For six years, the case of a Murray day care provider charged with violently abusing three toddlers has languished in court. The families of the three alleged victims say it has been a "living nightmare" to wait for justice.Skanchy set a pretrial date for Feb. 12 and asked the defense to file the proper documents explaining the necessity of a new expert witness by then. The defense is expected to call three expert witnesses at trial, while the state is expected to call four.
