Overtons to be tried separately in death of boy, 4

Overtons to be tried separately in death of boy, 4

April 21, 2007

Barbara Ramirez

Caller-Times

A district judge on Friday agreed to allow a couple accused of causing the Oct. 3 death of a 4-year-old boy to be tried separately.

Hannah Overton, 29, and her 30-year-old husband, Larry Overton, who are charged with capital murder, were scheduled to face trial together on April 30, but their attorneys asked for separate trials and a continuance. The couple is accused of forcing Andrew Burd, who they were in the process of adopting, to drink a mixture of water and Cajun spices.

Judge Jose Longoria, of the 214th District Court, granted a motion for a continuance and that the two can be tried separately.

Because the trial will rely heavily on experts and scientific evidence, the couple wanted to make sure the experts were given enough time to review reports, said John Gilmore, Hannah Overton's attorney.

Hannah Overton's trial has been reset to Aug. 20 and Larry Overton's has been rescheduled for Sept. 24, court officials said.

Contact Barbara Ramirez at 886-3792 or ramirezb@ caller.com