A new lead prosecutor has been named to head the capital murder case against Justin Thurber of Arkansas City, the attorney general’s office announced this morning.
Assistant Attorney General Vic Braden will now be lead prosecutor in the case. He will work with Assistant Attorney General Andrew Bauch and Cowley County Attorney Chris Smith, said spokeswoman Ashley Anstaett.
“Braden is a top prosecutor in the attorney general’s office and has much experience with capital murder cases,” she said.
Attorney General Paul Morrison was prosecuting Thurber for the January 2007 death of Jodi Sanderholm of Ark City, but resigned after news surfaced he had an extramarital affair with a former assistant. The woman, Linda Carter, has filed a sexual harassment claim against Morrison. Several other investigations into his actions have also been announced.
The trial is scheduled for next summer but a hearing is scheduled for 10 am. Friday in District Court in Winfield to determine whether certain pretrial motions containing sensitive information should be filed under seal or certain subsequent hearings be closed to the public, according to Anstaett.
“Braden and the rest of the prosecution team has already met with the Sanderholm family regarding this change,” she said.
Sanderholm disappeared Jan. 5. Her car was found four days later in the Cowley State Fishing Lake, east of Ark City off U.S. 166. Her body was found about 11 miles away, in a wooded area near the Walnut River.
