Trial of Fayetteville man accused of murdering woman postponed

WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Arkansas – The murder trial of a Fayetteville man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and then disposing of her body has been postponed again.

Kacey Jennings, 31, is charged with felony murder, desecration of a corpse, tampering with evidence and theft after the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) investigated the disappearance of Allison Maria Castro and concluded that Jennings allegedly killed her.

Jennings has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His trial was initially scheduled for January 17, 2023, but has since been postponed several times.

Prosecutor Matt Durrett confirmed to 5NEWS that Jennings' trial was postponed to August 26. A new date has not yet been set.

On August 15, Jennings' legal counsel filed a motion to delay the trial, stating that they had “discovered potential evidence of mitigating circumstances from California” that needed to be further investigated.

In the complaint, his defense further argues that if their investigation uncovers information, it may be necessary to subpoena witnesses from other states, which would require the defense to arrange transportation and testimony in court.

Durrett had previously confirmed to 5NEWS that Jennings was scheduled to take a plea deal in April, but the suspect changed his mind and the trial would not proceed.

The FPD said officers were called to a home on September 19, 2022, where they reportedly found Jennings suffering from a drug overdose.

During the investigation, officers reportedly heard from family members who were concerned about the well-being of Jennings' ex-girlfriend, Castro. The FPD said officers reported her missing that same day after not hearing from Castro and began investigating “what exactly happened.”

Based on the evidence, officials believed Jennings had killed Castro and disposed of her body. Jennings was arrested a week later.

According to court documents, the state has not waived the death penalty in this case.

If you have any information regarding this investigation, you are asked to contact the FPD at (479) 587-3555.

Follow 5NEWS on social media: Facebook | Þjórsárden |

Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:

Stream 5NEWS around the clock on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device

To report a typo or grammatical error, please send an email to [email protected] and specify in detail which story you are referring to.