HARRISONVILLE, Mo.—The man accused in the disappearance and deaths of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions is a step closer to trial in Cass County.
On Thursday morning, Kylr Yust waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
Yust appeared in Judge J. Michael Rumley’s courtroom wearing a jail jumpsuit.
Earlier this week, his attorneys filed a motion asking that Yust be allowed to wear civilian clothes while in court:
“Mr. Yust's case has received a uniquely high level of publicity over the course of more than ten years. His court appearances frequently receive media coverage which is not given to other cases or other defendants. Due to this unusual and unique amount of media coverage, Mr. Yust is likely to be prejudiced in a way that other defendants are not if required to wear jail garb to court appearances.”
Prosecutors representing the state responded to the defense team, countering that "no other inmate is permitted to dress in civilian clothes at court appearances, unless it is at the jury trial."
The state's motion continued, "Allowing the defendant to dress in civilian clothes prior to each court appearance creates an additional security risk for the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and would involve significant additional time and resources from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office."
The judge did not make a decision on this motion during Thursday’s hearing.
As he was leaving, Yust nodded toward the victims’ families.
After the hearing, the mothers of Runions and Kopetsky told 41 Action News that they want to thank the community for their continued support.
After #KylrYust's hearing, the mothers of Jessica Runions and Kara Kopetsky spoke with @41ActionNews, thanking the community for their continued support. pic.twitter.com/VQ5KBbR0qV
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) March 1, 2018
The next hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. on June 18.
