COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) -- An Alabama man has been indicted on murder charges in Georgia less than three weeks after Alabama charges in the same killing were abruptly dismissed following a judge ruling DNA evidence was inadmissible.
Local news outlets report a Columbus grand jury indicted Stacey Gray on Wednesday for murder and other charged in Renee Eldridge's July 2015 death. Muscogee County District Attorney Mark Jones said he would seek the death penalty against Gray if convicted.
Gray had been set for trial in Chambers County, Alabama, where Eldridge's body was found. After the judge tossed out the DNA evidence because prosecutors failed to provide a sample to the defense for separate testing before trial, charges were dismissed on June 1. Gray was extradited to Columbus, where police had warrants accusing Gray of raping and imprisoning Eldridge in December 2014 at her Columbus home.
Gray pleaded not guilty to those charges. He's jailed without bail in Columbus. The Wednesday indictment accuses him of murder, four counts of felony murder, kidnapping and rape.
Authorities allege Gray kidnapped Eldridge from her Columbus home in 2015 after her mother had dropped her off after 3:30 a.m. Using cell phone records, they say Gray took Eldridge first across the river to Russell County, Alabama, and then dumped her body in Chambers County.