Landrum trial on schedule

Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 19, 2005

Almost six months to the day after his arrest Michael Landrum will be brought to court for his capital murder trial. Landrum will make an appearance in the case on Monday Feb. 24.

Landrum faces capital charges including two counts of capital murder during a burglary, capital murder of a child and one count of capital murder of two or more people. The state is expected to seek the death penalty in the case.

Landrum is accused of conspiring with a Lisman man to kill his daughter, Mikayla Little, who was three years old and her grandmother, Ida Little who was 52.

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Landrum has been held in jail without bond since his arrest on Aug. 27.

The trial was originally scheduled for Oct. 18, but was delayed by the defense, who asked for more analysis of the states final forensics report.

Jeffery Napier, Landrum’s accomplice, was arrested the same day as Landrum and confessed shortly thereafter. Napier entered a guilty plea for one count of murder to a small child, one count of murder of two or more people and two counts of murder during a burglary, and two counts of murder for consideration. Napier’s sentence is being delayed pending his testimony against Landrum in the upcoming criminal case.

Napier claims Landrum offered to pay him $1,000 to kill the girl in order to get out of paying the $484 in child support a court had recently ordered. Landrum allegedly decided later he wanted the grandmother killed too. Napier claims Landrum paid him $500 prior to the murder.

In his confession Napier said he broke into the house and shot both in the head with a 9 mm pistol.