BENTON COUNTY, Ark — A man accused of killing a woman in Fayetteville and disposing of her body will have his murder trial delayed after the defense filed a motion on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Kacey Jennings's pretrial hearing was originally set for Oct. 9, 2023, but has been rescheduled for Feb. 15, 2024, after a judge granted a motion from Jennings's lawyers.
Jennings, 30, is accused of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and theft after the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) investigated the disappearance of Allison Maria Castro and concluded that Jennings had killed and disposed of her body.
According to Sgt. Tony Murphy with FPD, on Sept. 19, 2022, officers responded to a home in Fayetteville where they reportedly found Jennings experiencing a drug overdose. While investigating, officers found that family members were concerned about Castro's welfare. Castro and Jennings were previously in a relationship and lived together.
Sgt. Murphy said that after not hearing from Castro, officers reported her missing the same day and started looking into "exactly what occurred." Evidence led officers to believe that Jennings killed Castro and disposed of her body, and a week later, Jennings was arrested for first-degree murder and disposing of a body.
Since his initial arrest, Jennings' charges have been amended to capital murder, disposing of a body, tampering with evidence, and theft.
According to court documents, the state is pursuing the death penalty in this case.
The pretrial hearing is now scheduled for Feb. 15, 2024, at 11 a.m.
If you have any information concerning this investigation, you're asked to contact the FPD at (479) 587-3555.
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