Christina Hardy and Philip Brewer’s defense attorneys have issued five and six motions, respectively, for omnibus pre-trial hearing continuances since the defendants pleaded not guilty in the homicide of Mercer Island resident Curtis Engeland in March of 2024.

Hardy and Brewer’s latest hearings were scheduled for Aug. 7 and Aug. 14, respectively, in King County Superior Court in Seattle and the judge allowed them to now be set for Sept. 25. Their trial dates are now scheduled for Oct. 22.

Hardy’s omnibus was continued due to a large volume of digital and print discovery, according to documents. Brewer’s omnibus was continued because the defense said it needed additional time to investigate and gather mitigation, documents read.

According to a document supplied by Casey McNerthney, director of communications of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, “Continuances in pre-trial hearings can happen for several legitimate logistical reasons including the scheduling of witness interviews, witness availability at trial, the ongoing discovery process, processing test results from the State Patrol crime lab, court and attorney availability, or many other factors. Continuances can be requested by the defense or by prosecutors before a decision is made by a judge.”

Prosecuting attorney Leesa Manion charged the defendants of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree identify theft and first-degree theft charges. Court documents state that Engeland, 74, was killed on or about Feb. 24, 2024, and his body was recovered on March 7 of that year in the Grays Harbor County city of Cosmopolis.