SPRINGFIELD — A murder trial that has been delayed seven times will go forward.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, police said Thomas Albert killed Candance Prunty in her Springfield home.
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It’s been a long journey for Prunty’s family.
Her mom, Patricia Beard, was in court on Wednesday for the latest hearing in Albert’s case.
News Center 7 learned on Wednesday that in just two and a half weeks, she will finally see Albert go to trial.
“We have a jury trial date of March the 9th, 2026,” Clark County Common Pleas Court Judge Brian Driscoll said.
As of this month, Albert has been a murder suspect in Clark County for four and a half years.
News Center 7 first featured Prunty’s case as a Miami Valley Murder Mystery in 2018.
Clark County Prosecutors said Albert was dating Prunty in the summer of 2015.
That’s when she broke off the short relationship.
Springfield police said Albert’s being upset about the breakup was the motive for the murder.
Albert is on his fourth defense lawyer, after he fired his first three. And his trial has been scheduled and rescheduled more than half a dozen times.
The judge set a hearing for next week to settle four motions from the defense, but made it clear that he doesn’t want to see another delay.
“(We’ll use that hearing next week) just to tie up any loose ends to make sure that we are prepared for the trial on March the 9th,” Driscoll said.
Beard didn’t want to speak on camera on Wednesday. After a hearing in November, she said she’s confident that she’s seeing the start of the final stages of this case.
“I’m hopeful and grateful and believing that it is, and we can move on with this,” Beard previously said.
Albert’s already in prison for an unrelated attempted murder conviction in Columbus. His first chance at parole in that case is in 19 years.
He’ll be in custody for the next few weeks between now and his jury trial in Clark County.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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