Mark Redwine, the Vallecito father accused of killing his 13-year-old son, Dylan, in 2012, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a three-month delay from previous plans at the request of attorneys who say they need more time to prepare their arguments.
A four-week trial to determine Redwine’s guilt is scheduled to begin Sept. 18, said 6th Judicial District Attorney Christian Champagne. This is at least the second time Redwine’s trial has been postponed. Redwine has spent more than 600 days in the La Plata County Jail since his arrest in July 2017 in connection with his son’s death.
Redwine is charged with second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, both Class 2 felonies. He faces 16 to 48 years in prison if found guilty of either charge.
Dylan Redwine went missing in November 2012, last seen in the custody of his father, who the boy was visiting from Colorado Springs. Dylan’s partial remains were found almost a year later, about 8 miles up Middle Mountain Road near Redwine’s Vallecito home. The boy’s death was ruled a homicide by the La Plata County coroner.
Prosecutors say evidence collected by law enforcement and experts indicates Dylan’s blood and a cadaver were found in various spots around Redwine’s home and pickup, according to an indictment. Redwine and his son had a fraught relationship around the time of Dylan’s disappearance, according to the affidavit, and the area where the boy’s body was found was well-known to his father.
Redwine has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Public defenders Justin Bogan and John Moran are asking District Chief Judge Jeffery Wilson to throw out evidence obtained by cadaver dogs – canines trained to detect human remains. Moran filed a legal brief addressing the issue in March. The language in the brief was drafted by a nonprofit legal organization called The Innocence Project. Judge Wilson previously denied allowing any filings from The Innocence Project, but he did not take issue with Moran’s admission in court Thursday that the brief was largely put together by The Innocence Project.
bhauff@durangoherald.com