A Routt County judge has decided to hold a jury trial in Routt County for a case against a 17-year-old accused of stabbing a local woman who was house-sitting, rather than move the trial to a different county.

The juvenile, Holt LeMaster, was arrested April 23, 2024 after allegedly breaking into a home on Mark Twain Court where a local preschool teacher, Kylie Leggett, 29, was house-sitting. Upon entering the home, LeMaster allegedly stabbed Leggett twice in the abdomen.

LeMaster was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal attempt to commit first-degree burglary, all of which are felonies.

In March, 14th Judicial District Court Chief Judge Brittany Schneider ruled that LeMaster would be tried as an adult, transferring his juvenile case to district court.

During Monday’s status conference, one of LeMaster’s attorneys, Public Defender Kate Bush, asked the court to change the trial’s venue to either Rio Blanco County or Moffat County due to concern about already formed public opinion.

Bush argued that the press coverage surrounding the case, as well as social media comments about the involved parties, could lead to a “poisoned” jury.

Deputy District Attorney Joseph Bucci responded that there is not enough “presumed prejudice” to support moving the trial from Routt County, noting that social media comments do not carry the “same weight” as editorial reporting.

Judge Billy-George Hertzke considered the public’s engagement with the case, but ultimately decided that press reporting has not been “inflammatory.” 

Hertzke also noted that public social media commenters can easily be dismissed from being considered for the jury. He then denied the motion to change the trial’s venue.

As the status conference continued, Public Defender Chris Hamsher stated that the court is required to set a bond for LeMaster when he turns 18 years old on June 19.

Since his arrest in April 2024, LeMaster has been in custody without bond at Grand Mesa Youth Services Center in Grand Junction.

Bucci asked the court to set LeMaster’s bond between $2 million and $4 million, citing LeMaster’s criminal history, violations of previous probation and seven incident reports while in custody at Grand Mesa Youth Services, where he has been reported for flipping a table and throwing milk at other detainees.

Hamsher stated the bond request was “unreasonable” and encouraged the court not to be “swayed by sympathy” for Leggett’s injuries. Hamsher also argued that the incident reports were those of “misbehavior” rather than assault.

The defense requested LeMaster’s bond be set between $20,000 and $50,000, with strict bond conditions including an ankle monitor, regular drug testing and a curfew. Judge Hertzke will set LeMaster’s bond following his birthday on June 19.

The next court date in the case is a motions hearing set for Sept. 19. The trial currently is scheduled for mid-November.