It’s been a week since David Cornell Bennett Jr. was taken into custody, but charges have not yet been filed against the 22-year-old, who is being held on a $5 million bond, the Associated Press reports.
Bennett was arrested on Nov. 26 at gunpoint in connection with the deaths of a young Kansas mother and her three children. Cami Umbarger, 29, and her kids—9-year-old Hollie Betts, 6-year-old Jaxon Betts and 4-year-old Averie Betts—were all found dead in their home on Nov. 25. Authorities have not revealed how they died.
District Judge Robert Fleming told the young man on Monday that prosecutors have more time to file charges because of the holidays and the "complicated nature" of the case, according to the report. The judge said that there was probable cause to continue holding Bennett. A relative told the AP that Umbarger went out with Bennett a few times.
According to KWCH-TV, Bennett has filed the paperwork in order to get a court-appointed lawyer. He has asked whether he could be released on bond, but Fleming reminded him of the amount.
During a hearing on Monday, Bennett asked Fleming whether he'd be able to get a fair trial: "So I have a chance to present my case and so forth and have a fair chance like everyone else?"
Fleming reportedly told him that he would, while advising the young man not to discuss the details of the case.
Read more at the Huffington Post.