CLEARFIELD – Several defense motions made by attorneys for Denny S. Bailey, who is charged with the homicide of Chase Anderson, were dismissed by a judge earlier this week.
Anderson, 20, of Curwensville was reported missing in the summer of 2017 and police were told Kenja Kasheem Tew, now 24, was telling people that Anderson “wasn’t coming back.”
In late August of 2017, Tew led investigators to Anderson’s burnt body in a remote section of Pike Township, according to previous articles.
In April of 2018, Tew and Bailey, 40, of Woodland were both charged with criminal homicide, assault, kidnap to inflict terror, conspiracy and numerous related offenses.
Chantell Renee Demi, 28, of Woodland is also charged with homicide, conspiracy and related charges in this case and with reckless burning, tampering with evidence and more because Bailey reportedly told her to get rid of the vehicle used to transport Anderson to the scene of the crime.
During a preliminary hearing, investigators said Tew and Bailey’s versions of the events were similar in that they both said they took Anderson to the area and fought with him before killing him.
Tew claimed Bailey slit Anderson’s throat and burned the body while Bailey said it was Tew, who stabbed Anderson and poured gas on him.
These cases have been slowly making their way through the court system.
In June, a hearing on several defense motions filed by Bailey’s attorney Joe Ryan was held before President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman.
At that time, they asked Ammerman among other things to bar the Commonwealth from seeking the death penalty, to suppress evidence, for a change in venue for the trial and to sequester the jurors during the expected two-week trial.
According to court documents, all of these motions were dismissed by Ammerman on Thursday.
One motion regarding a mental health examination of Bailey was granted, allowing the Commonwealth’s expert and the defense’s expert to do separate examinations of the defendant.
Court documents indicate that no new date has been set yet for jury selection or a trial for Bailey or Tew. Both men who have been in custody since Aug. 31, 2017, have waived their rights to a speedy trial in their cases.
Bailey is being held without bail in the county jail.
Tew is currently serving a seven-month to three years state prison sentence on a separate case for delivery of a controlled substance and criminal use of communication facility.
Demi has reportedly signed a plea agreement, but she has also filed a motion to withdraw that plea. At this point, she is still scheduled for sentencing in March.
She is currently serving two to five years in state prison for a separate case for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with manufacturer number altered and firearm not to be carried without a license as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The fourth person involved with the burning of the vehicle, Joseph Ralston, 39, formerly of Curwensville, pleaded guilty to arson/property exceeding $5,000 value, and two counts of criminal conspiracy in April. He is currently serving two to four years in state prison.
