Murder trial is moved again

The trial for one of the women charged with the January murder of a Portland man has been moved again.

Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison on Monday rescheduled the trial for Esther J. Stephen of Portland to January. She is charged with the Jan. 12 murder of Shea Briar.

Stephen’s attorney had made the request for a continuance last week.

A final pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 20.

The trial was originally scheduled for late June. It was then moved to Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 before Hutchison made the latest change Monday.

Trial dates for Shelby Hiestand and Hannah Knapke, the other women charged with Briar’s murder, are slated for Nov. 16 through 19 and Feb. 21 through 25, respectively.

Stephen and Hiestand were arrested two days after Briar was found early Jan. 12 on the county road 125 West bridge over Loblolly Creek, just south of county road 850 South.

Knapke was arrested Jan. 22.

According to probable cause affidavits filed in connection to the case, Stephen and Hiestand admitted to plotting to kill Briar over a custody dispute. Stephen and Briar shared a child.

The court documents lay out the following account of Briar’s murder:

The three women picked Briar up at his home with plans to “hang out” and drove to the bridge in Knapke’s vehicle.

Stephen then distracted Briar, allowing Hiestand to retrieve a gun from the vehicle. Hiestand then shot Briar once in the back.

Briar was found about 2 a.m. Jan. 12 and died later the same day at Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital.

Stephen, Hiestand and Knapke are all being held without bond at Jay County Jail. In Indiana, murder carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years, with an advisory sentence of 55 years.