Each time another murder is committed in Limestone County — about two or three each year — District Attorney Kristi Valls knows she’ll have another suspect, often more than one, to add to the dozen defendants already awaiting trial.

“We’re not getting anywhere quickly,” Valls said.

This year, Valls has been able to remove three murder cases from her books — Melissa Jarrett and Chad Reece pleaded guilty in the murder of Shane Jarrett, and Mark Angus was acquitted by a jury for the murder of Michael Bryant in Elkmont. Angus’ was the first case Valls has lost as District Attorney.

She still has 12 people to try for murder, and another murder was committed last week. Art Champion was killed in his Ardmore home on Nov. 10. Jeannie Green, 35, Derrick Green, 41, and Randall Allen “Bingo” Clem confessed to the killing.

“Every one is just as important as the others,” Valls said. Sometimes trials are delayed because attorneys on either side are awaiting results of evidence testing, or because of scheduling conflicts. But Valls said her most pressing problem is that she does not have space to hire another much-needed assistant attorney.

“It gets overwhelming when we’re still stuck in the same small office and we can’t hire more help,” she said.

The District Attorney’s Office, previously spilling into the hallways of Limestone County Courthouse, got much-needed breathing room when county offices moved to a new annex building on Clinton Street in November 2004. The County Commission must do some renovation to the existing spaces before the DA’s Office employees can take advantage of the space.

Upcoming trials

• Farron Barksdale, accused of shooting to death two Athens Police officers on Jan. 2, 2004, has not come to trial yet because attorneys are awaiting an evaluation of Barksdale’s mental status from Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa. He was sent to the facility Sept. 20.

“After we get the evaluation, we should be ready for trial,” Valls said. “I think at that point the judge would be able to set it.”

• The trial for Andrew Lackey is currently set for May but attorneys are awaiting some evidence. Lackey is accused of killing Charlie Newman on Halloween night, 2005.

“We’re waiting for the autopsy and DNA evidence,” Valls said. Because North Alabama has one person who does DNA testing, those results can take 18 months to get back. Although preliminary autopsies do not take long, the in-depth toxicology reports and finalized autopsy can take up to a year, Valls said.

• Valls is expecting a plea from Andy Dugger, accused in the death of Shane Jarrett, along with Jarrett’s wife Melissa and Chad Reece, who have already entered guilty pleas this year.

• James Duncan and Josh Southwick are set for trial in February. The men are accused of killing Michael Bryant in 2003. Mark Angus was tried for allegedly hiring Duncan and Southwick to kill Bryant, and Valls said his acquittal might change the charges against them.

“I have to make a decision — if I believe the jury in the Angus case, if he didn’t hire them, it’s not capital murder, it becomes murder,” she said.

• Fernando Mendez, accused of killing his wife Marcaria Archundia Martinez, in 2005. No trial date is set.

• Dora Ramirez, 19, of Decatur, is accused along with her husband Ulises Ryes Mercado, 21, in the 2005 shooting death of Andres Flores, who was also known as Andre Flores Galicia. Ramirez is jailed and awaiting trial but Mercado fled and is believed to be in Mexico City. His absence may stall the trial for Ramirez, Valls said.

• Michael Morrell is charged with capital murder in the Jan. 14 stabbing death of Jackie Ray Hall, 47, outside of Hall’s Tillman Mill Road home. Morell was also charged with burglary. No trial date is set.

• Domingo Ortiz Valasquez is accused of killing Santos Lagres Pablo on Sept. 3. No trial date is set.

• Joseph Burns is accused of strangling to death another inmate at Limestone Correctional Facility in 2005. No trial date is set.