Sidnee Stephens Defendant Waives Preliminary Hearing

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The first of three defendants named so far in the Sidnee Stephens murder investigation has waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Carl Dane appeared in court August 18.

Had that hearing been held State's Attorney David Stanton would have presented enough of the case to warrant sending the case to trial. Waiving that right keeps evidence out of the eyes of the court and the public until trial.

Defendant Robby Mueller is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and defendant James Glazier is scheduled for his public hearing on Friday. It is not known whether those defendants will waive their hearings.

Sidnee's body was found west of Du Quoin July 25 and police began making arrests in the case three days later. What was described as a successful fund-raiser to offset the costs of her funeral was held in her memory Saturday at the VFW.