MARION COUNTY, IL — Despite an objection from the defense, a Marion County murder case was delayed Wednesday at the request of the prosecution.

During a pretrial hearing Wednesday in the case charging 31-year-old Ricky Norwood with the 2015 shooting death of 24-year-old Dustin Rhynes, the prosecution motion to continue the case was granted over the objection of the defendant. The case is now scheduled for June 1, June 30, and July 12 pretrial hearings with the delay in the case charged to the prosecution between May 11 and July 12.

Norwood remains in custody on the first-degree murder charge and has not waived his right to a speedy trial. Charging information claims Norwood shot and killed Rhynes. Rhynes was found dead in a Centralia neighborhood alleyway in August 2015. At the time of the shooting, Rhynes was reportedly with Charles Collins who was also shot but managed to run from the scene and seek help at Fireside Nursing Home.

Norwood was sentenced in July 2020 to 151 months in federal prison on unrelated meth distribution and weapons charges and was serving his sentence in New Jersey at the time he was served with the warrant in this case.