News Photo Illustration These News file photos show Brad Srebnik, left, and Joshua Wirgau in 26th Circuit Court in Alpena during a preliminary examination.

ALPENA — Judge Ed Black today pushed back by one month the date for Brad Srebnik and Joshua Wirgau’s first-degree murder trial to give the defense adequate time to file motions.

Srebnik and Wirgau both face first-degree murder charges for the alleged killing of Alpena women Brynn Bills and Abby Hill in 2021.

This morning, the defense counsel for both Srebnik and Wirgau and the prosecution met in 26th Circuit Court in front of Black to discuss the defense’s request for delay.

On the defense side, attorneys Rick Steiger and Dennis Grenkowicz, who both represent Wirgau, along with attorney Devin Pommerenke, who represents Srebnik, appeared in person, while attorney Patrick Cherry, who also represents Srebnik, appeared via videoconference. Wirgau and Srebnik, both currently in prison on weapons charges from a separate case, also appeared via videoconference.

Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski was present in person, while Michigan Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark did not attend the hearing.

The original deadline for pretrial motions to be heard was Aug. 4, with the hearing of said motions scheduled for Aug. 11. Grenkowicz, arguing on behalf of Wirgau, stated that his team wouldn’t be able to have motions ready on that timeline, citing the amount of evidence that needed to be reviewed and the time it would take for the certain evidence to even be made available.

Black agreed with the defense and thus had the hearing date for the pretrial motions moved to Sept. 18. As a consequence of the extension for motions, the trial has been pushed from its original dates of Sept. 11 to 27 to the new dates of Oct. 18 to Nov. 1.

Black applied those extensions to Srebnik, as well, after Cherry, arguing on his behalf, made a similar argument.