No trial until January for Naperville man charged in fatal stabbing
Roughly three years will have passed before the man accused in a 2012 stabbing death in downtown Naperville has his day in court.
Daniel Olaska's defense attorney, Ernie DiBenedetto, told Judge Kathryn Creswell Thursday that he will not be able to defend Olaska until mid-January at the earliest.
"Everyone, including my client, his family, the victim's family and the public, is anxious to get this done, but it has proved to be a difficult undertaking," said DiBenedetto, who took over the case from former defense attorney Brian Telander, who was appointed a circuit judge in April.
"We understand it would be in everyone's best interest to have this all wrapped up by the end of January," he said.
DiBenedetto told Creswell he is in only the first of several stages of preparing Olaska's defense. Outside of court, he said it is too early to know what tack he will take.
Olaska, 30, of the 1500 block of Foxhill Road in Naperville, is accused of stabbing Spring Brook Elementary School teacher Shaun Wild in the heart with a pocket knife after stabbing Wild's friend Willie Hayes during a Feb. 4, 2012, confrontation at Frankie's Blue Room at 16 Chicago Ave.
Olaska also is charged with knifing bouncer Rafael Castaneda, whom police said tried to intervene. Olaska has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Wild and the attempted murder of Harris.
Olaska has been held without bail since his arrest. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 8. A Jan. 13, 2015, trial date may be set at that time.