Trial of Sadie Roberts-Joseph's accused killer delayed

A judge has postponed the murder trial of Ronn Jermaine Bell, who is accused of killing Baton Rouge activist Sadie Roberts-Joseph. The trial was scheduled to begin this week but was delayed due to new evidence that prosecutors provided to the defense only two days prior. District Judge Brad Myers expressed frustration about the delay, especially since Bell has been in jail for more than five years. The new trial date is set for June 2. Bell, 43, was arrested in July 2019 after Roberts-Joseph, 75, was found suffocated in her car. Bell's attorney, Randy Dukes, argued that the late evidence could help Bell's case. This included information from Roberts-Joseph's daughter about a possible witness who saw a man in her mother's car the night she died. Prosecutors argued that they disclosed all necessary evidence and insisted that the new information was not crucial. Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Barrios Heap stated that the emails discussed were public and did not present new evidence that could exonerate Bell. Judge Myers stressed the importance of thorough investigations and granted the defense more time to pursue the new leads. He recognized Bell's right to investigate this information while expressing doubt that it would lead to anything beneficial for the defense.