Next month, it will be one year since someone murdered a Montgomery couple in their home. The bodies of Brent and Charlotte Springford were discovered during the Thanksgiving holidays. Their son is the prime suspect in their deaths. The grand jury hasn't heard the case yet.
Police thought it might have been a robbery that led to their deaths but it didn't take long for officers to become suspicious of the couple's son. After their black Jaguar was found abandoned in Oklahoma they started to think Winston Brent Springford, Junior might have done it. Montgomery Police Department's spokesman Lt. Huey Thornton announced a year ago "Last night at approximately 10:00 o'clock, Montgomery Police Department signed two capital murder warrants on Wnston Brent Springford,Jr."
However, because he was living in Colorado, it took lawyers weeks to get him to Montgomery to possibly stand trial. Montgomery County District Attorney Ellen Brooks says "The case against Springford is basically in a holding pattern right now."
And, it's been holding for eight months and nothing's happened while Springford waits in his jail cell. Brooks adds "It's not like C.S.I. It's not like television. They don't come in in an hour and collect everything." She's waiting and Springford's waiting for the case to go to the grand jury where he will be either indicted or set free, but it can't go there until the forensic results are ready.Otherwise, Brooks says, it could cause big problems. "I'll give you an easy example, a true example. Before I came here, there was a drug case. Looked fairly simple. Guy's a dope dealer. He's caught. Thought it was cocaine. Went to the grand jury. Indicted - possession of cocaine. Got the report afterwards. It wasn't cocaine. It wasn't even a controlled substance."
That's why the wait and the wait is long because forensic sciences is still testing cases from three years ago. Forensic scientist Phyllis Rollan is aware of the delay. "The Springford case has been on my list of cases to work for a long period of time."
And, the wait may take even longer for Springford because there is more than one victim and more than one location. Rollan says "I have begun the case, however, I still have a lot to do."
So, when will the Springford evidence results be ready to go to then grand jury? Rollan says "I would hope six months but I can't guarantee that."
Brent Springford, Junior maintains his innocence.
