MARION COUNTY — Two defendants charged in the December shooting death in rural Central City of a 39-year-old East St. Louis man have tentatively confirmed dates for jury trials for their first-degree murder cases.

Cardell Thomas, 53, and 26-year-old Mantez Duncan, both of Centralia, confirmed in Marion County Court Wednesday final pretrial hearings for February 27 on the charges accusing them of shooting to death Clendar Edmond on December 3, 2019, at Thomas’ home on Green Street Road. They also agreed to jury trial settings on March 9.

Thomas and Duncan are two of five defendants charged in connection with Edmond’s death and the disposal of his remains in a burn pile near a tree line just northeast of Thomas’ home.

Krystal Scerba, 30, of Centralia, also appeared in Marion County Court Wednesday in connection with the Edmond murder. Her case, however, was continued and another pretrial setting was scheduled for March 11.

The pretrial hearing for 27-year-old Darledria Flippen is scheduled for Thursday, while 28-year-old Blake Shahan isn’t scheduled for his first pretrial hearing until March 26.

Scerba, Thomas, Flippen, and Shahan are all charged with one count each first-degree murder, while Flippen is additionally charged with Class X armed robbery. Duncan is charged with two counts first-degree murder.

Duncan is accused of actually shooting Edmond multiple times in the garage of Thomas’ home and Flippen is accused of taking money the man had with him when he arrived with Shahan and Scerba at the Green Street residence.