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LISBON -- The jury trial for a Lisbon man charged with aggravated murder in the 2023 shooting death of his ex-wife remains set for Nov 12, with a final status hearing on Oct. 28.
William P. Long Jr., 51, North Market Street, appeared for an interim status hearing Monday accompanied by his hired defense attorneys David Betras and Frank Cassese in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.
Betras gave an update to Judge Megan Bickerton, reporting that he received the discovery or evidence from the state, including a thumb drive, but had not had an opportunity to go through everything yet.
"There is a lot of information there," he said, adding that at this point, he couldn't tell her if he was going to need an expert or if there were any issues of suppression.
He did say the Nov. 12 trial date should be a go.
Bickerton said the case would remain set for trial that date, but she also stressed to the attorneys she didn't want to wait until the final status hearing on Oct. 28 to address any issues. She said the time for dealing with any issues would be next month.
County Assistant Prosecutor Alec Beech represented the state during the hearing.
Long was charged at the end of May with aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, along with a first-degree felony of discharging a firearm upon a roadway, and firearm specifications for using a gun for each count in the death of 50-year-old Michelle A. Long on Nov. 29, 2023 outside her Carey Road home in Butler Township.
During a hearing last month, Williams P. Long Jr. did sign a waiver of the time requirement for bringing his case to trial, giving his attorneys more time to prepare. He remains confined to the county jail under a $1.5 million cash or surety bond.
At the time of her death, Michelle A. Long was the Leetonia High School math/STEM/industry teacher, junior high robotics coach and junior high track coach. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
If convicted, William P. Long Jr. could be facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino.
Abruzzino said previously that Michelle Long was found deceased in her vehicle outside of her residence on the road near her mailbox. Early in the investigation, there had been search warrants executed, including one at the home of William P. Long Jr. in Lisbon.
Family members and supporters of both the victim and the defendant attended the hearing, sitting on different sides of the courtroom.