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Prosecutor urges trial date in Bullhead City girl's death

Posted at 8:04 AM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 11:22:32-04

A Mohave County prosecutor is asking a judge to set a trial date for a man charged with killing a Bullhead City girl in 2014.

Justin James Rector is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse and abandonment of a body in the September 2014 death of Isabella Grogan-Cannella. She was strangled, and her partially clothed body was found in a shallow grave near her home.

Prosecutor Gregory McPhillips says he's provided a list of about 100 witnesses to the defense but it has refused to set up interviews.

McPhillips says the interviews should be considered waived and a trial date set to ensure the rights of the victim.

Defense attorney Julia Cassels says she already had given McPhillips possible dates for interviews. She says he's misrepresenting the facts.