McDonough considered as venue for murder trial

MACON, Ga. (AP) - Court officials in central Georgia are considering McDonough as a possible venue for the trial of Stephen McDaniel.

He’s accused of killing and dismembering Mercer University law school graduate Lauren Giddings in the Bibb County case.

Chief Henry County Superior Court Judge Arch McGarity said Bibb County has expressed interest in using Henry County’s largest courtroom, which seats about 100 people.

Bibb County court representatives were expected to tour the McDonough courtroom soon if Henry County is still in consideration, the judge told The Telegraph newspaper of Macon (https://bit.ly/1fh7Pes ).

An April 28 trial date has been set, but it hasn’t been decided where it will take place.

Lawyers for Stephen McDaniel have requested a change of venue due to extensive publicity in central Georgia. McDonough is about 60 miles northwest of Macon, where prosecutors say the killing took place.

McDaniel was Giddings’ next-door neighbor and a fellow Mercer University law school classmate when the woman from Laurel, Md., was killed in June 2011.

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Information from: The Macon Telegraph, https://www.macontelegraph.com