News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Judge Ed Black sits behind the bench during a hearing for Brad Stebnik on Thursday. Srebnik is accused of killing Brynn Bills and Abby Hill in 2021. Srebnik’s trial is slated to begin on Jan. 29.

ALPENA — The trial of Brad Srebnik, an Alpena man accused of killing two women in 2021, is still slated to begin at the end of the month despite some legal maneuvering from the defense.

Srebnik is being charged for the deaths of Brynn Bills and Abby Hill. His charges include two counts of premeditated murder, weapons charges, and disinterment and mutilation of a body. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Srebnik was in court via video conference on Thursday for a motion hearing.

Judge Ed Black, of the 26th Circuit Court in Alpena, said he would not delay the trial again despite an appeal made by the defense to the Michigan State Court’s Administrative Office to overturn Black’s ruling not to recuse himself from the bench.

Srebnik’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 29

The trial has been moved back several times due to the amount of evidence and witnesses in the case, and because one of the defense’s expert witnesses died.

The defense attorney for Srebnik, Patrick Cherry, explained the process, which could see a change behind the bench and have any action taken by Black since the time he denied the motion to turn the case over to another job overturned.

“We had filed a motion for the judge to recuse himself, which he denied. Once the court entered its order, we requested he submit that order to the Supreme Court’s Administrative Office to have another judge appointed to review his decision,” Cherry said. “If he determines the judge should have recused himself, my argument is we go all the way back to Oct. 27 because those orders he issued were inappropriate.”

Black, who was a prosecutor for Alpena County before becoming judge, is familiar with the legal maneuvers that are utilized to delay a case from going to trial.

Black said he still intends to proceed with the trial, which is slated for the end of this month, and jury selection, which begins on Wednesday.

This case has been adjourned multiple different times at the requests of the prosecution and defense, Black told Cherry. He said Cherry had plenty of time to involve the State Court, but elected to wait until December to file the order with the higher court.

“You waited all the way until the eve of trial to do this even though the hearing was all the way back on Oct. 27,” Black said. “I will not adjourn the trial. I’m not changing anything and will leave it where it is.”

Black said the process of selecting a jury for the trial will commence on Wednesday and Thursday.

During the hearing, Cherry also announced the recent evidence, including new police interviews and phone data retrieved from recently discovered cell phones. Some of the cell phone data was from earlier in the investigation into the murders, but there were also batches of new data from after Josh Wirgau, who was charged with the murder of Hill, reached a plea deal with the state. The attorney general’s office is overseeing the prosecution of the murders.

With the trial on the horizon, and to make sure the defense had ample time to process the new evidence, Black said he would only allow evidence that was turned over to the defense by Dec. 1, unless a motion is made explaining why it is pertinent or benefits the accused.

Srebnik and Wirgau were released from prison for a previous felony and are currently housed in the Alpena County Jail.

In his plea deal, Wirgau pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and disinterment and mutilation of a body in the death of Bills and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hill. Charges of first-degree murder and felony firearm will be dropped.

He could face up to 30 years in prison. He originally faced up to life in prison.

Wirgau is expected to testify against Srebnik.

Bills was reported missing in early August 2021 and her remains were eventually found buried in the backyard of Wirgau’s house. The prosecution intends to prove Srebnik strangled Bills to death at his home and moved the body, eventually renting an excavator to bury the body, with Wirgau’s help, in the backyard of Wirgau’s home.

Hill, Srebnik’s girlfriend, was reported missing on Oct. 5, 2021, and her remains were found in a wooded area behind the Holcim Identity Plant on Oct. 15. The prosecution says she was killed by a single gunshot to the head.