Whitaker murder trial is moved to Ashe County

The capitol murder trial of Billy Dean Whitaker will not take place in Alleghany County, after a change of venue motion was approved during the Alleghany County Superior Court session on Monday.

With Judge Michael Helms residing over the session of Superior Court, Whitaker's attorneys Bynum Marshall and Garland Baker asked for the court to grant a change of venue and allow the trial to be held outside of Alleghany County.

Assistant District Attorney Graham T. Greene did not have any objections to the motion and the trial is scheduled to be held in Ashe County to begin sometime in May.

Judge Helms commented that he felt it would be difficult to try a serious case, such as a capital murder case, in Alleghany County. He stated that with a lot of publicity in a small area a trial would be hard to hold here.

Helms made reference to a previous murder trial that was held here several years ago and that a tremendous amount of publicity ensued before the trial and during.

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