KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The trial of accused Indian Creek Trail killer Fredrick Scott is set to move forward in January.
During a status hearing Friday morning, attorneys for the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and Scott said they are ready to proceed with the trial that is now set to begin Jan. 9, 2023.
As KSHB 41 News has reported, police arrested Scott in August 2017 in connection with several homicides that happened around the southern Kansas City trail. Some dated back to 2016.
Prosecutors charged Scott with the murders of six people:John W. Palmer, David Lenox, Timothy S. Rice, Karen Harmeyer, Steven Gibbons, and Michael Darby.
Three of Darby’s family members attended Friday’s hearing. Scott was also in the courtroom — in shackles and wearing a jail-issued orange jumpsuit.
Judge Charles McKenzie set aside two to three weeks for the January trial. He plans to bring in a pool of 75 potential jurors to fill out questionnaires on Jan. 5. Jury selection or voir dire will start on Monday, Jan. 9.
Scott’s trial has faced multiple delays in the past. It was originally set for Sept. 6, 2022, but the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said in July the date would be pushed back to January.
In June 2021, Scott was originally found to be incompetent to stand trial. But four months later, a judge ruled the accused serial killer was competent to stand trial.
The killings around the Indian Creek Bike Trail caused fear around the Kansas City area, leading city officials to consider whether a curfew was needed for the area at the time.
The murders took a massive toll on the friends and family members of the victims.
At the time of his arrest, Scott initially admitted to killing two of the victims, according to court documents, and repeatedly told investigators that he was angry over the 2015 murder of his brother, Gerrod Woods, per court documents and previous reporting by KSHB 41.
Woods was one of two men killed in December 2015 during an armed robbery, according to previous reporting by KSHB.
Judge McKenzie told attorneys on Friday to plan on another status hearing in late November.
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