A Case Not Covered in Jewish Newspapers - Murder Trial (Perry March)

March Attorneys Want Corpse Charges Dropped
News Channel 5
July 7, 2006
Murder Victim - Janet March was murdered in 1996

Should Perry March be charged with abusing his wife's corpse or should the charges be dropped?

Judge Steve Dozier will decide at a motions hearing Friday morning if March is still charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

March denies killing his wife Janet in 1996, but he'll stand trial for her murder this August.

March also faces two other counts for allegedly disposing of the body: abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence.

His attorneys want those charges dropped. They filed a motion to dismiss counts No. 2 and 3 of the indictment in this case as being barred by the statute of limitation, meaning too much time has passed to prosecute. The statute of limitations on abuse and tampering is only two to four years. The alleged crime happened a decade ago.

“I think there’s virtually no chance the judge will grant that,” NewsChannel 5 legal analyst Nick Bailey said.

Bailey said that’s because Perry left the state.

Perry moved from Tennessee to Illinois and then to Mexico after Janet disappeared. So, under the rule of law, Bailey said, the statue of limitations never ran out.

March’s trial will begin August 7th. At this point, Bailey said a plea deal is unlikely.

“The farther the case moves along, I think the less likely of a plea deal in a murder case,” he said.

With murder, there is no statute of limitations.

Because of pre-trial publicity, Dozier said he wants the jury selected from outside our viewing area. He has been notifying jurors in another county, but no one is saying which county, yet.

Jury selection begins August 7. Jurors will be sequestered for the trial.

A gag order remained in effect for all involved in the March murder case.