MADISONVILLE-It's been nearly a year since four people allegedly killed a Vonore man while trying to rob him and a trial date still hasn't been set.

Lorenz Freeman, 25, Athens Pike, Etowah, Coty Smith, 26, Highway 411, Madisonville, Joshua Steele, 25, Smoky Branch Road, Vonore and Jessica Payne, 21, Edna Garland Road, Maryville, have been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery andfelony murder in the death of Luther Vineyard, 53, at his home on Smoky Branch Road.

The four were scheduled to be in court Jan. 25 when they could have entered a plea deal or had a trial date set, but Joseph Crabtree, the lawyer for Smith, was reportedly in a traffic accident and couldn't make it into court.

See full story in the Sunday, Feb. 3, edition of The Advocate & Democrat.