Travis Carlon waives right to speedy trial

Travis Carlon, Pine City, Friday again waived his right to a speedy trial. The trial deadline is extended to March 30, 2014, close to two years after he was originally charged.

The waiver was presented to the court by his attorney, Roger Sandberg of Pullman.

Carlon has testified as a key witness in the three Lazcano murder trials in superior court this year.

Now 36, he was charged April 4, 2012, with rendering criminal assistance to Frank and Daniel Lazcano who have been tried on charges of murder and kidnapping of Marcus Schur of Rosalia.

Carlon during the trials has given an account of how the Lazcano brothers came to his Pine City residence the night of Dec. 27, 2011, with Schur’s body in the trunk of a Ford Escort and how he and the brothers discussed a course of action during an extended roadside meeting along Hole-in-the-Ground Road near the John Wayne Trail crossing at Pine Creek.

Schur’s body was recovered from the outlet creek of Bonnie Lake at Hole-in-the-Ground three months later, and Carlon was arrested and booked into the county jail the following week. He was later released on $500 bail.

Carlon has also testified on his role in disposing of the AK-47 rifle which has been presented at all three trials as the murder weapon. It was recovered from the Spokane River last fall.

Charges of first degree murder and kidnapping filed against Daniel Lazcano remain pending after juries for two trials were unable to determine a verdict. A possible resolution of the state’s case was halted July 19 when Superior Court Judge David Frazier rejected a plea bargain agreement under which Daniel Lazcano could serve up to 27 months after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

The jury in the Frank Lazcano trial found him guilty of felony murder, and he is now serving a 25-year prison term. He has appealed his conviction

Carlon has been identified in the Lazcano trials as Uncle Travis. He testified they are actually nephews of an ex-wife.

A scheduling hearing on the status of the Carlon case has been scheduled in court for Oct. 25.