Trial for Kansas man accused in beheading won’t be moved

LYNDON, Kan. – The trial of a Kansas man accused of beheading a man with a guitar string will not be moved out of Osage County.

An Osage County judge in Lyndon on Tuesday rejected a request from 30-year-old James Paul Harris to move his trial to another county outside the Topeka news coverage area.

Harris is accused of fatally garroting James Gerety, 49, of Topeka, in March or April of 2011.

Prosecutors allege Harris kept Gerety’s head for months for some type of religious practice. The skull was found in March 2012 in rural Osage County on land where Harris’ father lived.

Harris’ attorneys argued he could not get a fair trial because of publicity of the homicide.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Harris’ trial will start Dec. 1 in Lyndon.

Lyndon is about 30 miles south of Topeka.

This story was originally published October 29, 2014 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Trial for Kansas man accused in beheading won’t be moved."