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LISBON -- The jury trial in the aggravated murder case against Curtis D. Holland for the 2021 shooting of Brycen Douglas has been continued, with Holland hiring a new defense attorney.
Holland, 30, Dewey Avenue, East Liverpool, appeared in the custody of deputies during a brief status hearing Monday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Scott Washam.
Holland was accompanied by his appointed defense attorney Rhys Cartwright Jones, with his new defense attorney Marcus Sidoti of Cleveland appearing via telephone.
The state was represented by county Assistant Prosecutors Steve Yacovone and Christopher Weeda. A member of the victim's family was also present.
Yacovone noted Sidoti had been retained and the state wouldn't object to a continuance of the jury trial which had been set for Oct. 5. He acknowledged hundreds if not thousands of pages of discovery, or evidence, in this case consisting of security camera footage, home security footage and other evidence, saying the ongoing investigation has gone on for quite some time.
Cartwright Jones said he would give any discovery already received to Holland's new attorney, with Yacovone saying Sidoti has been asked to provide the state with a terabyte flash drive to receive all the material.
The jury trial time has been transformed to a status hearing at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 5 to set new dates.
Holland was charged last year with aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, a third-degree felony of having weapons while under disability and two firearm specifications. He's accused of causing Brycen's 2021 death and using a weapon when he was prohibited from having or using a gun due to a previous drug conviction.
Prosecutors identified him as the second shooter, with the first shooter identified as Elvin "EJ" Tisdale, 36, who's already serving a life sentence for his part in the murder after being sentenced in June 2025. A jury found him guilty of numerous charges, including aggravated murder.
Also indicted at the same time as Holland was the alleged driver in the case, Travis W. Kidder, 26, Bradshaw Avenue, East Liverpool, who had already been facing a a third-degree felony of obstructing justice for allegedly lying to investigators. A superseding indictment charged him with the obstructing count along with aggravated murder and murder and two counts of complicity in the commission of an offense, all unclassified felonies, and three firearm specifications, all related to the shooting.
In April, Kidder pleaded guilty to amended charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, along with a charge of obstructing justice. But as part of the deal, he has to testify and be truthful in the case against Holland. His sentencing remains set for 9:20 a.m. Oct. 19.
Douglas was just 20 years old at the time of his death and was sitting on a porch with some friends in East Liverpool's east end on July 15, 2021 when the shooting occurred.
The fourth person involved was identified as the lookout. Allen Tisdale, 26, Lisbon, was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison in July 2025 after testifying in the trial against EJ. He entered a guilty plea in May 2025 to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and complicity to improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, a second-degree felony. He was originally charged with aggravated murder and murder, but eventually told investigators what happened and agreed to testify as part of a plea deal.
Both Kidder and Holland remain jailed under $1 million cash or surety bonds.