WASHINGTON COUNTY — An October jury trial date was confirmed Friday in Washington County court for a Missouri couple accused of shooting at Wamac and Centralia police as they took the officers on a high-speed pursuit over the summer.
According to Chris Neal, Washington County assistant state’s attorney, prosecutors have two weeks to file a motion to combine the cases of 40-year-old Jared Queen of St. Clair, Missouri, and his 40- year-old passenger Maria Moore, of Wright City, Missouri.
Neal says the couple currently has separate cases and attorneys but if prosecutors want to try both Queen and Moore at the same October 21 trial then a motion will have to be filed to consolidate the cases.
He says both cases basically have the same facts and circumstances and that if a motion to consolidate is filed a ruling would be delivered at an October 15 final pretrial.
According to Neal, both defense attorneys announced in court Friday that they’re ready to go to trial. Since both defendants remain in the Washington County Jail, if they decided to postpone the October jury trial they would have to file a waiver of speedy trial.
Both are charged with Class X felony attempted first-degree murder, and five counts Class X felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm at a peace officer.
Moore is also facing two Class 3 felony counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and misdemeanor charges of reckless conduct and resisting a peace officer.
Queen is also facing Class X armed violence, Class 2 and Class 3 felony charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Class 4 felony aggravated fleeing, and misdemeanor charges of reckless conduct and resisting a peace officer.
Queen and Moore reportedly took Centralia and Wamac officers on a pursuit in July that started in Centralia and continued for more than 30 minutes and through multiple jurisdictions before ending in Coulterville, in Randolph County, Illinois.
As the pursuit sped through Washington County, Queen reportedly began firing a rifle at officers from the driver’s door, while Moore allegedly began firing at officers from the vehicle’s sunroof.