The triple homicide case that shook Custer County nearly two years ago was set to go before a jury next week, but a Fremont County judge granted a request Wednesday to delay the trial for the third time since the case started.

Hanme Clark, 46, is accused of fatally shooting three of his neighbors — Rob Geers, his wife, Beth Wade Geers, and James Daulton — over what authorities suspect was a land dispute on Nov. 20, 2023. Daulton’s wife, Patty Daulton, survived the shooting but sustained serious injuries, according to previous Gazette reporting.

New details emerge in arrest and possible motive of Custer County shooting suspect

The shooting took place near the victims’ homes, which were in a secluded Rocky Ridge Road neighborhood 8 miles northeast of Westcliffe.

Clark appeared in custody on Wednesday in an 11th Judicial District courtroom for what was supposed to be an evidentiary hearing, but instead, the hearing primarily focused on a prosecution request to postpone the trial based on a late endorsement of two defense witnesses. 

According to court records, Clark’s case was moved from Custer County to Fremont County in June after a judge granted a change of venue request.

According to 11th Judicial District Attorney Jeff Lindsey, who is also a prosecutor on the case, the defense filed the endorsements after the required timeframe, per state law and the court’s order.

Further arguments by the defense and prosecution revealed that those testimonies would likely argue an alibi for Clark, specifically that he was not on the property at the time of the shooting, but rather at another nearby residence in the area. Lindsey argued his side needed more time to prepare for trial, given the new defense, and noted that the burden of proof is on the prosecution.

Custer County shooting: A look at the suspect, Hanme K. Clark

The defense argued that it followed Colorado law, and additionally claimed Lindsey has been in possession of all the facts for a “significant amount of time” regarding the additional witnesses.

The issue came down to whether the defense was an “alibi defense” or not. The defense argued that it was not, while Lindsey said it “couldn’t be clearer” that it was an alibi, and it required a notice on the defense’s part.

Judge Lauren Swan agreed with the prosecution over the law surrounding endorsements regarding alibis, and gave both sides the option to argue to delay the trial or exclude those two testimonies.

Neither the prosecution nor defense objected to a continuance, but acknowledged issues the delay would cause for both the court and victims of the shooting. Patty Daulton gave an emotional statement to the court, saying that while she trusts the system and the prosecution, delaying the trial means delaying the healing process.

“Two years of my life is gone. … I need a resolution to this so I can figure out what to do the rest of my life without my husband,” Patty Daulton said. “I really need for this to be resolved as soon as possible.”

Josh Wade, the son of Beth Wade Geers, according to court records, also provided a statement to the court using a video conferencing app.

“This has been drawn out for too long, and it has affected us daily,” Wade said. “(My son) is afraid the person who did this is not going to spend the rest of his life in jail, that this person is going to be able to do it again.”

Swan acknowledged that going forward with the case could result in an appeal or overturn.

“I don’t make this decision lightly, but I also want to make sure that we are not at risk of this case being returned from the appeals court or the Colorado Supreme Court,” Swan said.

Clark is now set to begin a longer-than-expected trial on Feb. 2, with the goal to wrap up closing statements by Feb. 20. Initially, the trial, scheduled to start Monday, was to last 10 days, while the new trial dates are set for three weeks.

Arrested alongside Clark in November 2023 was 52-year-old Nancy Medina-Kochis, another suspect in the case, later charged with five counts of being an accessory to a crime — all lower-level felonies. She pleaded not guilty to all five counts, court records show.

Suspect in Custer County triple homicide extradited to Colorado

As of Wednesday, Clark remains in the Fremont County Detention Center on a $2 million bond. Court records show Medina-Kochis bonded out of custody after posting a $100,000 cash bond in February 2024. Her 10-day jury trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 1, court records show.