Another delay in the murder trial of defendant Nicholas Wayne Moore. Moore is accused of killing 27-year-old Michael Castro, whose body was found in a barrel in Yigo in 2020 — a year after he went missing.

During a status hearing Wednesday afternoon, the court was informed that Moore’s lead counsel, Attorney David Lujan, has been discharged from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Attorney William Gavras, also part of the defense team, was unable to work on Wednesday due to illness.

Presiding Judge Maria Cenzon urged Attorney Mike Phillips, another member of Moore’s legal team, to provide the court with medical certification for Gavras.

Cenzon also noted the consequences of delays, reminding Phillips the court had to vacate several other trials and reschedule pending motions and cases, affecting others waiting for their day in court.

She stated, “It’s not just pushing this matter forward — it’s also moving forward on these multiple other cases that require this court’s attention.”

Another status hearing is set for Friday, October 24th, at 9am.