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ALBEMARLE, NC (WBTV) – The trial of the man charged in the disappearance of a 25-year-old Albemarle woman feared dead won’t happen in the “foreseeable future,” authorities said.
Joseph Lee Rhodes has been charged with the first-degree murder of Sasha Lee Naylor and the woman’s unborn child. Court records indicate that his case was to be tried before a jury in this week’s trial.
Related: Man arrested in connection to the disappearance and arrest of a pregnant woman. Deputies say she’s dead
According to Capt. Chris Huneycutt with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Rhodes was appointed new counsel on Monday, likely impacting the trial for a year.
Naylor disappeared in Stanly County in February 2019. Shortly after, a Silver Alert was issued for Naylor. Deputies believe she was pregnant and due in February 2019.
It was thought that she had dementia or another cognitive impairment.
Authorities had previously stated that Naylor was last seen alive at Kates Drive in Albemarle. They believe she is heading towards West Virginia or Ohio.
According to officials, her last contact was at Albemarle’s Community Inn Aug. 21, 2018,
According to Huneycutt, Naylor’s body has still not been found.
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