Prosecutors have three weeks to turn over evidence in the Megan
McDonald case after the recent arrest of her ex-boyfriend, Edward Holley.
Two newly assigned special prosecutors introduced
themselves in Town of Wallkill Court Wednesday and asked for an adjournment
until June 7 to review the case, in hope of presenting it to a grand jury.
Holley is free without bail. The 42-year-old from Wawayanda
was about to speak outside of court Wednesday when a woman he was with said “no
comment.”
Holley was charged by state police
last month in Megan McDonald’s murder 20 years ago. He was let go from jail
last week after prosecutors said they weren’t notified by state police that an
arrest was going to be made and didn’t have enough time to present the case to
a grand jury within the timeframe required by law.
Two special prosecutors were assigned after Orange County
District Attorney Dave Hoovler cited a conflict with his office because he
represented a second suspect who died before Hoovler was elected.
State police say DNA advances and new evidence link Holley to
the 2003 murder, but problems with the case seem to signal it might not be
ironclad.
“They are reaching at this point. I think they just wanted
closure and to be quite honest with you the main suspect that I would’ve looked
at would’ve been suspect No. 2, whose DNA was in the back seat of
the car, to put himself in the car," said Holley's defense attorney, Paul
Weber.
State police haven’t said why they didn’t coordinate Holley’s
arrest with prosecutors, who have worked closely with them on this case for two
decades.
They say they are committed to helping the prosecution during
this next stage in the case to hold Holley accountable.
Prosecutors have six months to
present the case to a grand jury otherwise, the charges can be dropped - as a
matter of law.