The man accused of killing a veterinary technician in 2007 and the family that has waited a decade for justice will have to wait a little longer for his retrial.
Michael R. Jackson was found guilty of raping and murdering Andrea Boyer, but an error during the trial forced the court to hear the case again. Jury selection for the retrial began this week, but was abruptly halted and a procedural hearing was set for Monday.
According to the Clay County court records, over the last five weeks, the defense was approved to pay a forensic medical examiner to testify at the trial and the state requested that evidence in the case be unsealed. There was also a motion asking for supplemental evidence from the state to be released to the defense.
A judge has ordered Jackson's defense attorney, Ann Finnell, to release the forensic report. News4Jax has requested a copy of the report from the State Attorney's Office.
Boyer's family and friends had returned to court to see Jackson be retried. One of Boyer's friends say this is more than a trial, it's like reliving a nightmare.
"I think I can speak for a lot of people: this has really caught us off guard," said Dr. Michal Harris, who works at the Sixth Street Veterinary Hospital in Middleburg.
Harris worked with Boyer worked at the Wells Road Vet Clinic, where Boyer was raped and murdered 11 years ago. A bench honoring her memory remains outside the clinic.
Harris is ready for the new trial to begin so Boyer and her family can have justice.
"What we want is a time when we will be able to walk away from this and say, 'At least this part is done; this part is finished,'" Harris said.
Despite how painful it feels to relive Andrea's murder, Harris says she would do it again.
"I would go through it all again if there was my guarantee that I got to know her," Harris said. "I would walk to the ends of the Earth to get to know her again because she brought a lot to my life."