Thomas Popp seeks venue change in Terri McCauley murder retrial

Thomas Popp's defence has filed a motion to move the Woodbury County murder case to another county, citing extensive media coverage ahead of a potential retrial.

Defence cites media saturation in bid to move Popp murder case

Thomas Duane Popp has filed a motion requesting that his Woodbury County first-degree murder case be transferred to another county, arguing that saturation media coverage has made it impossible to empanel a fair and impartial jury locally, ktiv.com reports.

The motion comes after a mistrial was declared in August during Popp's first-degree murder trial linked to the death of 18-year-old Terri McCauley.

The defence contends that daily news reports, social media posts and coverage by outlets present in the courtroom exposed prospective jurors to information they would not ordinarily encounter at trial — including details about the manner of death, alleged admissions, claimed motives and court documents.

The filing also notes that additional coverage and court records are expected to be published, referencing media coordinator notices on file in the case.

Popp's attorney has asked the court to transfer proceedings to a different county "to preserve a fair and impartial jury."

A hearing on the venue-change request is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 September, at the Law Enforcement Center, 3701 28th Street, Sioux City, according to a court order entered on 18 September. The court has not yet ruled on the motion.

Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis has not indicated whether he intends to retry Popp following the August mistrial. In a statement to KTIV, Loomis said he expects to provide an update by Monday, 21 September.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)