By Matt Unruh ~ Great Bend Post

The man charged with the capital murder of a 14-year-old Great Bend girl, Alicia Debolt, appeared in Barton County District Court for a motions hearing.

The defense for Adam Longoria wants a change of venue for the jury trial, claiming they wouldn’t have enough impartial jurors to have a fair trial.

DeBolt was murdered by Longoria, say prosecutors with her burned remains discovered at an asphalt plant where Longoria worked. That was in August of 2010.

The defense called Shirley Drew, a communications professor at Pittsburgh State University to the witness stand. She testified about a survey that she helped organize, that polled over 400 people in Barton County. 75-percent of that sample group said they thought Adam Longoria was guilty.

Defense Attorney Jeffery Wicks argued for a change of venue in the case, while Kevin O’Connor with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office argued that the survey just shows speculation in the case.

Barton County District Judge Hannalore Kitts stated she would issue a ruling on the motion Monday.

Longoria is scheduled for trial on March 26.