Two Warren County murder cases that have been in the court system for more than three years are scheduled to go before juries later this year. Both cases have a history of being postponed.Shawn M. Kavanagh, 28, Bellflower, is awaiting trial for a triple murder at a home south of Jonesburg in 2014. He allegedly stabbed to death two women and a child, and critically injured his estranged wife, in a Valentine’s Day attack.Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Kavanagh. He has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action, first-degree domestic assault and first-degree burglary, for the murders of Tara Lynn Fifer, 22, of Montgomery City, Lexy Vandiver, 29, and her son, Mason Vandiver, 7, both of Jonesburg.He also is charged with the attack on his wife, Jescie Powell Kavanagh.Shawn Kavanagh’s case has been delayed numerous times, including at least three trial dates that have been rescheduled. He was last set to go to trial in October 2017, but the date was pushed back to Sept. 17, 2018.The case remains set for a five-day jury trial in September in Warren County Circuit Court. A hearing to review the case ahead of the trial is coming up May 17.Kavanagh is being represented by attorneys from the Missouri Public Defender’s Office, who said last year that they had not had enough time to prepare for his trial. On top of defending him at trial, attorneys also need to prepare for the aftermath of a guilty verdict, in which case they would have to present an argument for sparing Kavanagh’s life.In postponing his trial almost a year, the attorneys said they needed time to do a deep background investigation of Kavanagh’s history and mental health, searching for any factors that could somehow mitigate the severity of the crimes.Kavanagh remains in custody at the Warren County Jail without bond.Hunter trialThe trial for Ashley N. Hunter, a Foristell woman charged with murdering her husband in 2015, has been rescheduled twice. The most recent trial date was Jan. 22.Hunter’s trial was postponed at the request of prosecutors, against the objection of Hunter’s attorney. It was rescheduled for four days starting June 11 of this year.Hunter, 30, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after allegedly shooting and killing her husband, Nicholas Hunter, Jan. 15, 2015.She pleaded not guilty to the charges in July 2015 and has been in custody since. Hunter is being held in jail in lieu of a $1 million cash-only bond. Multiple requests from Hunter’s attorney to modify or reduce her bond have been denied by Presiding Circuit Judge Wes Dalton.

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

Ashley Hunter