Judge rules Barlow trial will be heard in another county

The case against Lisa Barlow, accused of killing her boyfriend, Michael E. Strong, will not be heard by a Bollinger County jury.

Barlow's defense attorney, Amy Metzinger of the public defender's office, made the request to move the court proceedings to another county Thursday morning at a hearing before Circuit Judge Benjamin F. Lewis.

The case will go before Circuit Judge William L. Syler at 9 a.m. Oct. 26 for a decision as to where the new venue will be.

On July 27, Strong was shot to death in the Scopus residence he and Barlow shared. Barlow was home at the time and placed a 911 call to a dispatcher with the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department, saying she was hiding underneath her bed because she heard Strong arguing with intruders, then she heard a gunshot.

At a preliminary hearing on Sept. 28, Dr. Russ Deidiker, the pathologist who performed Strong's autopsy, testified that Strong had been shot while lying down.

Barlow's story about a home invasion was called into question by corroborating evidence, including testimony by responding officers that the floor under the bed was covered with dog hair and Barlow's clothes were clean, and a neighbor saying he heard a gunshot fired nearly an hour before Barlow called 911.

After hearing the nearly eight hours of testimony presented by prosecutor Stephen Gray, Associate Circuit Judge Scott Thomsen ruled that sufficient evidence existed to hold Barlow for trial.

Barlow declined to enter a plea at Thursday's hearing.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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