The trial for a man accused of killing three people and critically wounding a fourth in a 2014 stabbing has been pushed back until June 2019.Warren County Circuit Court records show Shawn M. Kavanagh, 28, Bellflower, is set to go before a jury beginning June 17, 2019, in a trial that is scheduled to last more than a week. Four previous trial dates have been canceled for various reasons.Kavanagh is accused in the stabbing deaths of two women and a child, as well as critically injuring his estranged wife, during the attack on Feb. 14, 2014, at a home south of Jonesburg.The most recent delay in criminal proceedings against Kavanagh was when a trial set to begin last month was canceled because defense attorney Robert W. Lundt reportedly became seriously ill.Lundt at the time told the court that he had not slept in almost two days and was seeking medical treatment for severe stomach issues. Lundt stated that he would be providing ineffective assistance of counsel if the case proceeded to trial. Ineffective assistance from an accused person’s attorney is grounds to appeal a courtroom verdict.Warren County Presiding Judge Wes Dalton ordered the trial to be canceled, against the objection of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, records state.Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Kavanagh. He has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, for the murders of Tara Lynn Fifer, 22, of Montgomery City, and Lexy Vandiver, 29, and her son, Mason Vandiver, 7, both of Jonesburg. He also is charged with severely wounding Jessica N. Powell, who had been married to Kavanagh.A previous delay in the trial for Kavanagh was also attributed to defense attorneys. A trial date in October 2017 was delayed by almost a year after Kavanagh was assigned new attorneys from the Missouri Public Defenders Office, who said they had not had enough time to prepare for the trial and a possible sentencing phase afterward.If Kavanagh is found guilty, it would be his attorney’s job to present an argument for sparing his life. The defense team had sought time to conduct a deep background investigation into Kavanagh’s history and mental health, searching for any factors that could mitigate the severity of the crimes.Leading up to the now-canceled trial date this September, court records indicate the defense team requested subpoenas for around 20 witnesses.Kavanagh remains in custody at the Warren County Jail. By the time Kavanagh sees a jury, he will have been incarcerated for at least five years awaiting trial.

Shawn Kavanagh, shown here after his arrest on Feb. 14, 2014.