Years after her murder, questions still swirl around the Holly Bobo murder trial and the evidence in the case.
Jury selection in the case is set for Thursday and the trial will begin on July 10. No plea deal was made for defendant Zach Adams - at least not yet.
So what is the evidence against him?
1. Sources tell NewsChannel 5 an entire room at Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Headquarters was dedicated to all of the paperwork and evidence collected over the more than six-year investigation. In other words, the defense and special prosecutor have reams of material to scrutinize and evaluate.
2. Investigators collected Bobo's remains, which were found in a wooded area in Decatur County years after she disappeared. Indications are that they recovered her skull. It's not clear if all skeletal remains were recovered.
3. The results of forensic testing on everything from Bobo's remains to carpet taken from Adams' home remain sealed. But Adams' attorney, who has reviewed discovery, told NewsChannel 5 there is no DNA linking her client to the crime.
4. Without strong physical or DNA evidence, prosecutors will depend heavily on witness testimony. We know they have given plea deals or immunity to at least five people in exchange for their testimony at trial. It's likely that two of the five are co-defendants Dylan Adams, Zach's younger brother and Jason Autry. We'll see soon enough.
5. Prosecutors surprised everyone last week by revealing they recently recovered a gun that will be introduced as evidence. It was unclear if it was the murder weapon or if it could be linked to Adams.
A jury will soon decide if the evidence is enough to convict. However, a lot of pressure will hang over the heads of that jury, considering that this is a death penalty case.
NewsChannel 5's Nick Beres and Legal Analyst Nick Leonardo will host gavel-to-gavel coverage on Newschannel 5 during all hours of the trial.
