Jury trial scheduled for one of 3 men accused of killing Kelle Ann Workman

A case that sat cold for 35 years is on the calendar to go before a jury next year.

Of the three men charged earlier this year with the murder of Kelle Ann Workman , one has been scheduled for a jury trial in Phelps County.

Workman was 24 years old when she was last seen at 6:15 p.m. June 30, 1989, mowing grass at the Dogwood Cemetery near the Pleasant Southern Baptist Church in Douglas County. On July 7, Workman's fully clothed body was found by someone who lived near the church.

Workman's body was submerged in a creek in the Mark Twain National Forest near Oldfield, which was about 12-15 miles from the cemetery. According to previous News-Leader reporting, due to her body's quick decomposition, authorities were unable to determine the cause of Workman's death, but they found no evidence of a head injury or bullet wounds. Authorities believed she was killed the night of June 30 or morning of July 1.

In February, a grand jury indicted Bobby Lee Banks, Leonard Dwight Banks and Wiley Belt for the murder, kidnapping and rape of Workman. The indictment alleges the men killed her by striking her with a blunt object. Bond was initially set at $250,000 cash only for each man.

What's the latest update?

Leonard Banks, who goes by his middle name Dwight, is the first to have a jury trial scheduled in the case. His case was moved to Phelps County with a five-day jury trial scheduled in Rolla starting May 12, 2025.

Douglas County Prosecutor Matthew Weatherman said he is expecting depositions to begin soon and stated that "the state is ready to go to trial."

Bobby Banks, Dwight's brother, is scheduled for a plea and trial setting in Douglas County on Oct. 8. Weatherman said Dwight Banks remains in Douglas County Jail while Bobby Banks is being held in Wright County Jail. Dwight Banks had filed for pre-trial release but so far has been unsuccessful in getting it approved.

Belt is the only one who was released from jail. In March, he was placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring after the prosecutor agreed to change his $250,000 cash-only to a personal surety bond in the same amount. This means the entire amount did not have to be paid in full in cash for Belt to be bailed out. Belt's plea and trial setting is scheduled Nov. 5 in Douglas County.

While Belt and Bobby Banks were granted a change of venue, Weatherman said a venue has not yet been selected. He said traditionally, a new venue is chosen upon a case moving to trial and could remain the same should there be a plea.

All three charges the men are facing are in the first degree and carry the possibility of life in prison. They all pleaded not guilty at their arraignments.

What do we know about the defendants?

Both Bobby Banks and Dwight Banks were suspects throughout the initial investigation. In 1995, Dwight Banks spoke with the News-Leader about the case. Bobby Banks declined comment, as he was advised by a lawyer. In 1990, Bobby Banks failed a polygraph test administered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which his brother said was due to "frail emotions." An ex-girlfriend of Bobby Banks also told the authorities that he sought an alibi for the night Workman vanished.

Belt did not feature prominently, if at all, in previous media coverage. But at a February news conference announcing the indictments, Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said all three had always been top-of-the-list suspects.

More: Key takeaways from the first Kelle Ann Workman pre-trial hearings

Belt is the only one being represented by his own lawyer, Joe Passanise. Bobby Banks and Dwight Banks were both assigned public defenders, John Adamik Jr. and Christopher Hatley, respectively.

Much of the newfound information and reignited investigative work in the case was thanks to two investigators, Leslie Albrecht and Christopher Holland, who spent two years digging back into the case. At the time, the two worked for the Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Special Investigations, assigned to elder abuse and dependent adult abuse caseloads in southwest Missouri.

Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jury trial scheduled for one of 3 men accused of killing Kelle Ann Workman