Cairo murder case continued as Justice Department decides whether to seek death penalty

Murder suspect James Watts will have to wait a few months to find out whether federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against him.

Watts, 30, of Cairo, Illinois, faces federal charges of attempted armed bank robbery resulting in death and being a felon in possession of a firearm after a May 15 attack that left two women dead and a third in critical condition.

He originally had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 12, with a pretrial hearing set for Dec. 31, but according to federal court records, the Department of Justice has not yet reviewed his case and determined whether to seek the death penalty.

In a motion filed last week in federal court in Benton, Illinois, attorneys for Watts said they had been told that decision is expected in the spring.

"Until such time as a decision is made, there is no possibility that the case can proceed to trial or plea," the motion states.

To allow time for that decision, Watts agreed to a continuance and waived his right to a speedy trial, his attorneys wrote.

Federal Judge J. Phil Gilbert granted the motion Friday and reset the case for a March 18 status conference and an Aug. 17 trial, online court records show.

Watts is accused of killing bank employees Anita Grace, 52, of Olive Branch, Illinois, and Nita Smith, 52, of Wickliffe, Kentucky, during what court documents characterized as a failed attempt to rob First National Bank of Cairo.

A 23-year-old woman who worked with Grace and Smith at the bank sustained critical injuries in the attack, according to federal court records.

Watts was arrested after a high-speed chase and a two-hour standoff with police at a railroad trestle spanning the Ohio River.

The lone survivor of the attack told authorities Watts was communicating with someone via walkie-talkie when he forced her and two other women into an employee lounge and attacked them with a knife, according to federal search warrants unsealed in July.

The warrants sought equipment and data for cellphones involved in the case.

It was not immediately clear whether anyone else has been charged in connection with the case. Representatives for the federal prosecutor's office in Southern Illinois did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

Cairo, IL