Groves Murder Trial Delayed until Fall

LOCK HAVEN—An on again – off again Clinton County murder trial is off again.

Principals in the case of Loyd Groves, 69, were in Clinton County Court Monday morning, the announced date to begin jury selection. Those in attendance included a shackled Groves, accused of killing Katherine “Kathy” Dolan Heckel of Lock Haven in 1991.

But based on new prosecution evidence, presiding Senior Judge Kenneth Brown of Lycoming County granted a continuance until sometime in November. He told those in attendance, including a first-day prospective juror pool of 47 county residents, that in light of the new development, the trial was again being delayed. He said Grove’s ex-wife “for the first time talked to police” last Friday. Citing the importance of her information to the case, Judge Brown said defense counsel did not receive word of that development until arriving for court Monday morning. He said Groves’ attorneys needed “time to investigate.”

Court administrator Don Powers said prospective jurors who had been summoned to appear for consideration later this week were being notified they need not report. He said a new trial date would be determined, likely a start time in mid-to-late November.

The trial postponement is its third since 2015. The case had been scheduled for trial in the fall of 2015 but was postponed over discovery issues. The trial was rescheduled for November of last year but was delayed due to health issues on the part of the defendant.

Groves had been arrested in January of 2015 following a statewide investigating grand jury report based on a renewed probe conducted by state troopers Curtis Confer and Michael Hutson and FBI special agent Kyle Moore. Groves has been held at the Clinton County Correctional Facility without bail since his 2015 arrest.