Main Trial for Fairbanks '241' Defendants Likely a Year Away

A trial for a woman accused of harboring Schaeffer Cox when he was a fugitive this winter may take place in the next few months.

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By Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Story Created: May 10, 2011 at 12:09 PM AKDT

Story Updated: May 10, 2011 at 12:09 PM AKDT

FAIRBANKS — A trial for a woman accused of harboring Schaeffer Cox when he was a fugitive this winter may take place in the next few months. But any trial for Cox and five others facing more serious charges is likely a year away.

All six defendants appeared one by one at the Rabinowitz Courthouse for a hearing Monday afternoon. Schaeffer Cox, Lonnie Vernon, Karen Vernon, Michael O. Anderson and Coleman Barney are all in custody and accused of creating a plot called “241” to kill Alaska State Troopers and court officials.

Coleman’s wife, Rachel Barney, faces only the charge of harboring Cox. She has not been jailed while awaiting trial.

Her attorney, Gary Stapp, said Monday he is ready to defend her in trial, a statement dismissed as “cavalier” by Assistant District Attorney Gayle Garrigues because the state has not yet finished releasing its evidence against the defendants to the defense attorneys.

By today, the state is expected to have finished handing over about 1,500 pages of documents. Defense attorneys are still waiting for evidence seized from computers and fire alarms and a separate body of evidence collected by federal investigators due next week.

Four of the six defendants face federal charges for weapons charges and a separate alleged plot to kill federal employees.

No official trial dates were set Monday, but June 7 was set aside for the next court hearing.

Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

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