Tyler Hadley could go on trial in December for killing parents in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Tyler Hadley could go on trial for the July 16 murder of his parents sometime around Christmas, according to a schedule set up Wednesday afternoon by Circuit Judge Robert R. Makemson.

Now 18 years old, Hadley was 17 when he was charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the bludgeoning death of his parents, Mary Jo Hadley, 47, and Blake Hadley, 54, at the family home in the 300 block of Northeast Granduer Avenue in Port St. Lucie.

Hadley allegedly announced on Facebook before the murders that he would be having a party later that night. About 60 people attended the party, during which Hadley reportedly showed the bodies to a friend, who called CrimeStoppers.

At Wednesday's hearing, Chief Public Defender Mark Harllee and Assistant State Attorney Bernard Romero agreed to Makemson's schedule setting several pretrial deadlines designed to move the case along, including:

Finalize a list of all nonexpert defense witnesses within 30 days.

Finalize a list of all expert defense witnesses within three months.

Complete all depositions within six months.

File all pretrial motions within seven months.

Once Makemson sets a trial date, Harllee must file motions seeking to redact portions of video and audio recordings and Facebook transcripts a month before that date.

After the hearing, Romero said beginning the trial around Christmas "depends in large part on the cooperation of citizens."

Harllee added, "That means showing up for depositions after they've been subpoenaed."

The possible witness list in the case is extensive because authorities have been interviewing dozens of the young people who attended Hadley's party.