Johnsburg murder trial postponed

The long-awaited murder trial of Mario Casciaro has been postponed one more time, officials said.

McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather agreed to put off Casciaro’s trial until Jan. 23, pushing it back from its original start date of Oct. 3, the McHenry County state’s attorney’s office confirmed Thursday.

The 28-year-old McHenry man faces five counts of first-degree murder in the disappearance and presumed death of Johnsburg teen Brian Carrick. Casciaro, who was arrested on the charges in February 2010, is free on $5 million bail while awaiting trial.

His lawyer requested the postponement in court Wednesday, claiming he was having trouble locating witnesses originally expected to be used for Casciaro’s defense, and because the state’s attorney’s office had not turned over some documents the defense needed.

Carrick, 17, last was seen Dec. 20, 2002, walking into Val’s Foods in Johnsburg, where he worked and Casciaro was his supervisor. His body has not been found.

The murder indictment alleges Casciaro or someone for whom he was legally responsible killed Carrick.

According to court documents filed by McHenry County prosecutors last year, Carrick was killed over a drug debt. The documents suggest Carrick and Casciaro had an arrangement in which the teen would sell drugs supplied by Casciaro and then turn over a portion of the proceeds. When Carrick failed to turn over the money it led to a confrontation and ultimately his death, prosecutors wrote.

The Johnsburg store has since been closed, but Casciaro’s family now owns Val’s Fresh Market in Fox Lake.